Every American dreams of finding a job that pays well enough so that they may comfortably take care of their loved ones and themselves for years to come.
Most Americans hope to find some way to make a living that they enjoy, something that they view as productive. Unfortunately, many do not have this luxury. In our society, a good portion of the population is forced to hold the base of our country in place while hardly being redeemed for their time and effort, and thus the problem of Income inequality Essay. Numbers of these people live from paycheck to paycheck, barely getting by, not because they manage their money poorly, but because the value of their time at work is negligible.
Some may even sacrifice happiness at work to find a job that pays better simply because they cannot make ends meet at their current job. Some people sacrifice their sanity and eventually their life just to keep from going under financially. Segregation in income distribution is another cause of these problems, such as that with women or African-Americans who make less than other classes comparatively. In contrast, actors and actresses such as Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts make millions in the entertainment industry, an industry that grosses hundreds of millions of dollars a year creating what adds up to be the same kind of entertainment most people could get out of watching their children play sports or sing in a choir.
The question then is how to find the value of work and time in our society and what should determine income. Positive reasons for income inequality are hard to find. One reason is the incentives there are to achieving higher status of income. You are regarded as successful in the eyes of your peers, and if you financial security is achieved, your life can be a lot less stressful.
It is the pursuit of these incentives, this kind of greed, which keeps the economy running strongly. People work hard if they will be rewarded for it, so they pursue higher education to get better jobs, to create a business, and we all benefit from that. An article, The Truth About Income Inequality by John H. Hinderaker and Scott W.
Johnson, which is based completely on statistics from the government*, proves that income has not fallen for Americans. In fact, the distribution of income is no worse than it has ever been, and certainly better than when the country was first being settled. Without unequal distribution and rewards for those who pursue a higher income, people would have little reason to work and the economy would become stagnant. Income inequality was a large reason why people immigrated here in the 1800’s. Their countries were becoming too segregated by the classification of income. Now this country is becoming more of what those people fled from over a hundred years ago.
Moreover, many companies are now moving their production overseas and taking away the very jobs and opportunities that looked so attractive to the American immigrants. Back in America, some companies hire illegal aliens at low wages, which creates a larger lower class. As of 1996, illegal aliens made up 7% of the nation’s workforce*. We need to keep this country from becoming like those socially segregated countries that people emigrated from in the past. Many large firms make a lot of money, but there is no trickle-down effect.
The few on top make most of the money while the average worker does much of the work. According to the real annual income of Americans, about 95% of the benefits of economic growth over the last 25 years have gone to the rich*. Should not the hard worker on the bottom get more? These firms are controlling because they only give out as much as necessary to keep the workers employed. Many of these same firms have companies in other industries, such as entertainment or retail, and a lot of the money they pay out comes back to them through these other industries.
In addition, women and African-Americans make less money than white males for working the same jobs. Income should certainly not vary with gender or race.
