Research Paper Working Papers of the ESRC Research Centre on Micro-Social Change 95-01

Did the middle classes shrink during the 1980's? UK evidence from kernel density estimates

Authors

Publication date

01 Jan 1995

Abstract

This paper proposes, using kernal density estimation methods, to investigate the shrinking middle class hypothesis. The approach reveals striking new evidence of changes in the concentration of middle incomes in the U.K. during the 1980's. Breakdowns by family economic status demonstrate that a major cause of the aggregate changes was a moving apart of the income distributions for working and non-working households.

Subjects

Labour Economics and Social Stratification

Notes

working paper

#492642