In the United States, it takes an average of five generations for a low-income family to reach the median income level, compared to two in Denmark and Norway, and four in Germany.

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found that a significant portion of employees at large U.S. companies earn wages so low they still qualify for federal benefits like food stamps.

The college wage premium, which is the amount more a person with a degree makes compared to a high school diploma, flattened out and began declining before the 2008 global financial crisis.