Report Examines Income Disparities In Michigan

gr-53290-1-1
gr-53290-1-1

A new analysis shows Michigan’s top 1% of earners continue to see their incomes rise while everyone else is not. The findings from the Michigan League for Public Policy show that the state is 11th worst nationally for income inequality, which spans gender, race and ethnicity and educational level. Rachel Richards, with the Michigan League for Public Policy, says the organization will be diving deeper into these income inequality issues with a series of fact sheets.

“This is a much broader issue than what I originally started looking at,” Richards said. “It’s not just necessarily the top versus the bottom, you know, it spans gender issues, it spans race and ethnicity issues, it spans educational-attainment issues.”

Richards says Michigan policymakers can help bridge the divide by improving the state’s tax climate, restoring the Earned Income Tax Credit to 20% of the federal level, as well as improving working conditions and wages. She also notes women and people of color are particularly hurt by the gap