WASHINGTON - January 24 -

WHAT: Conference Call Briefing: Income Inequality Grew Across the Country Over the Past Two Decades (with state-by-state data)

WHEN: Thursday, January 26 at 12 p.m. (ET)

Register: http://www.cbpp.org/confcall.htm

WHO: Jared Bernstein, Director, Living Standards Program, EPI; Elizabeth McNichol, Senior Fellow, CBPP

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute will hold a conference call briefing on Thursday, January 26 at 12 noon (ET) to discuss a major new CBPP/EPI report showing that the gap between the highest-income families and poor and middle-income families grew significantly between the early 1980s and the early 2000s. The study is one of the few to examine income inequality at the state as well as national level, and includes fact sheets for all 50 states.

The report, "Pulling Apart," finds that the incomes of the country's richest families have climbed substantially over the past two decades, while middle- and lower-income families have seen only modest increases. This trend is in marked contrast to the broadly shared increases in prosperity between World War II and the 1970s.

The trend of growing inequality has occurred in most parts of the country. In 38 states, the incomes of the bottom fifth of families grew more slowly than the incomes of the top fifth of families between the early 1980s and the early 2000s.

The study is based on Census data that have been adjusted to account for inflation, the impact of federal taxes, and the cash value of food stamps, subsidized school lunches, and housing vouchers. Income from capital gains is also included.

After opening remarks, the panelists will take questions.

To participate, please register by e-mailing spillane@cbpp.org or ncoleman@epinet.org; or by calling CBPP at 202-408-1080 or EPI at 202-775-8810.

Register on-line at http://www.cbpp.org/confcall.htm

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