EMBARGOED UNTIL: JUNE 20, 1996 (THURSDAY) Public Information Office CB96-96 301-457-3030 301-457-4067 (TDD) Daniel Weinberg 301-763-8550 CENSUS BUREAU REPORTS ON INCOME INEQUALITY IN AMERICA EMBARGOED UNTIL: JUNE 20, 1996 (THURSDAY) - In the past three decades there has been a rise in income inequality among the nation's households, according to a report entitled, "A Brief Look At Postwar U.S. Income Inequality" (P60-191), released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. The report--which uses five different indicators to measure the money income distribution of households--says that between 1968 and 1994 each type of indicator showed a significant increase in income inequality. For example, one of the five indicators showed that, the household at the 95th percentile in 1994 had 8.2 times the income of the household in the 20th percentile, compared with 6.0 times as much in 1968. Daniel Weinberg, the report's author, says, "Besides the five indicators of money income inequality, the Census Bureau also has examined several experimental measures of income that add in the value of noncash benefits such as food stamps and subtract out taxes. The report contains only previously released data. It was prepared to summarize information on income inequality in one easily accessible short report.-X-Editor's note: media representatives may obtain copies of the report from the Census Bureau's Public Information Office on 301-457-3030; fax: 301-457-3670; or e-mail: pio@census.gov. Other orders should be directed to the bureau's FastFax: 1-900-555-2Fax (there is a nominal fee); Customer Services Branch on 301-763-INFO(4636); or fax: 301-457-3842. Historical statistics are available on request or via the bureau's Internet site at http://www.census.gov
