Business Casual

Many low and middle incomes have been stagnant for a decade and now prices are rising, but there’s another reason why people are anxious these days: family incomes are more volatile than a generation ago, although down from the early 90s, according to a new report by the Economic Policy Institute. That means average families often see their savings stripped away during bad times. This is the flip side of this country’s much-praised labor “flexibility” where companies are able to shed workers whenever they feel their costs have climbed too high.