• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind

2

Spain lifted the World Cup, but the IRS still gets a cut of its $50 million pay day as players, coaches and refs all face complex U.S. “jock taxes”

3

Scott Bessent casually says the U.S. has more than $1 trillion in gold—and that it doesn’t matter for the dollar

1

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind

2

Spain lifted the World Cup, but the IRS still gets a cut of its $50 million pay day as players, coaches and refs all face complex U.S. “jock taxes”

3

Scott Bessent casually says the U.S. has more than $1 trillion in gold—and that it doesn’t matter for the dollar
Finance

Americans Got a Huge Raise in 2015

By
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 13, 2016, 1:47 PM ET
A Career Fair Ahead Of Jobless Claims Figures
Photograph by Bloomberg via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The median American income grew faster in 2015 than at any point on record, according to a report released Tuesday by the Census Bureau.

White House officials were ecstatic with the news, with Jason Furman, the Chairman of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors, saying on Twitter Tuesday morning that “I usually try to be restrained, but this is unambiguously the best Income Poverty and Health Insurance Report ever.”

Besides the good news on income, the report also showed that the number of Americans in poverty fell by 3.5 million last year. The number of uninsured Americans also fell. More importantly, and striking, given the 99% vs. 1% rhetoric, the report clearly showed that incomes rose for every income segment in the country.

growthhhincome_14_15

The news runs counter to the widely held belief that the average American is seeing his economic fortunes decline. This perception is posited, for instance, as a cause for the rise of Donald Trump, who, as a political outsider, represents the repudiation of a Washington insiders who, the line of thinking goes, sowed the seeds of the American middle class decline.

This report doesn’t completely puncture that narrative. Median incomes are still lower today than in 2007. Furthermore, middle class Americans have struggled to see their standard of living rise over the past generation, as the increased integration of the global economy has grown the incomes of the very rich and very poor around the world, but done much less for those in the middle classes.

Meanwhile, during that same period, the costs of the most important things in the economy, like healthcare and education, though not recently gas, have risen faster than overall inflation and middle-class incomes, making people feel poorer over time.

But the report is a vindication of the economic policies of the Obama Administration overall, and the Federal Reserve in particular. The central bank has kept monetary policy extraordinarily accommodative, ignoring calls to raise interest rates in order to head off an rise in inflation that has not yet manifested itself in the data. The result has been a steady decline in the unemployment rate, which has caused higher demand for workers and higher worker pay.

medianhhincome

Whether or not these statistics filter their way into Americans perception of the economy is a different question, however. According to a survey by Gallup, more Americans think the economy is getting worse than they did at the beginning of 2015, suggesting that a year of wage gains isn’t improving Americans attitudes toward the economy. At the same time, consumer confidence levels are roughly in line with their pre-recession levels, suggesting that while Americans are satisfied with their own economic situations, they believe others’ situations are deteriorating.

About the Author
By Chris Matthews
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Finance

Alphabet Inc. and Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks during the inauguration of a Google Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub in Paris on February 15, 2024. (
Big TechWall Street
AI is forcing Big Tech to do something it’s never done: Spend more than it earns, and Wall Street hates it
By Eva RoytburgJuly 23, 2026
7 hours ago
Saudi Arabia takes center stage as oil hits $100 and the Iran war escalates amid Houthi attacks and nuclear expansion
EnergyDonald Trump
Saudi Arabia takes center stage as oil hits $100 and the Iran war escalates amid Houthi attacks and nuclear expansion
By Jordan BlumJuly 23, 2026
9 hours ago
California Republican’s awkward pitch: vote for me even if you hate Trump
BankingElections
California Republican’s awkward pitch: vote for me even if you hate Trump
By MIchael R. Blood and The Associated PressJuly 23, 2026
12 hours ago
z
EconomyElections
Democrats decide 2026 midterm elections are the perfect time for a civil war pitting socialists against moderates
By Jill Colvin and The Associated PressJuly 23, 2026
12 hours ago
police tape
North AmericaCrime
American homicides on track for lowest level in more than a century: ‘one of the most significant public safety developments in decades’
By Safiyah Riddle and The Associated PressJuly 23, 2026
12 hours ago
Photo of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.
PoliticsCongress
The Republican-controlled House just passed a stock trading bill — that exempts Trump’s 3,600 Q1 trades
By Joey Cappelletti and The Associated PressJuly 23, 2026
12 hours ago

Most Popular

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
2 days ago
Spain lifted the World Cup, but the IRS still gets a cut of its $50 million pay day as players, coaches and refs all face complex U.S. “jock taxes”
Personal Finance
Spain lifted the World Cup, but the IRS still gets a cut of its $50 million pay day as players, coaches and refs all face complex U.S. “jock taxes”
By Joshua HongJuly 23, 2026
22 hours ago
Scott Bessent casually says the U.S. has more than $1 trillion in gold—and that it doesn’t matter for the dollar
Economy
Scott Bessent casually says the U.S. has more than $1 trillion in gold—and that it doesn’t matter for the dollar
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 22, 2026
1 day ago
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 23, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 23, 2026
19 hours ago
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Economy
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 23, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.