U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

May 1988

The declining middle-class thesis:a sensitivity analysis

Michael W. Horrigan, Steven E. Haugen

New study supports the hypothesis of a shrinking middle; the declining proportion of families in the middle has largely moved to the upper class, although the share of income held by the lower class has declined. This article describes the nature and results of such a sensitivity analysis.

Download PDF »