Wages and wage-related income are of growing importance to low-income households: Share of income of the non-elderly* bottom fifth accounted for by wage-related income, in-kind income, and cash transfers, 1979–2010
Cash transfers (e.g., Social Security, UI, TANF) | In-kind benefits (e.g., SNAP, Medicaid) | Wage-related income (wages, benefits, and tax credits [e.g., EITC]) | |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | 18.7% | 13.2% | 57.5% |
1980 | 19.4% | 13.5% | 56.6% |
1981 | 19.2% | 13.5% | 56.9% |
1982 | 20.3% | 14.3% | 56.0% |
1983 | 20.0% | 15.4% | 55.1% |
1984 | 17.1% | 13.3% | 57.6% |
1985 | 17.9% | 14.5% | 56.8% |
1986 | 17.1% | 14.8% | 56.5% |
1987 | 17.6% | 16.9% | 54.5% |
1988 | 17.1% | 16.5% | 55.1% |
1989 | 15.2% | 16.1% | 57.5% |
1990 | 14.5% | 17.5% | 57.8% |
1991 | 14.6% | 17.7% | 58.2% |
1992 | 14.3% | 17.9% | 59.6% |
1993 | 14.1% | 18.5% | 58.1% |
1994 | 13.7% | 18.7% | 59.6% |
1995 | 11.9% | 16.7% | 63.4% |
1996 | 11.6% | 16.0% | 65.1% |
1997 | 10.7% | 14.0% | 67.5% |
1998 | 9.6% | 13.2% | 69.8% |
1999 | 9.3% | 12.5% | 69.1% |
2000 | 9.1% | 12.6% | 69.1% |
2001 | 8.6% | 15.6% | 70.2% |
2002 | 9.5% | 15.2% | 69.5% |
2003 | 9.0% | 15.5% | 70.1% |
2004 | 8.6% | 15.9% | 70.1% |
2005 | 7.5% | 15.7% | 71.7% |
2006 | 6.7% | 15.8% | 71.9% |
2007 | 6.6% | 16.1% | 71.3% |
2008 | 7.7% | 16.7% | 74.3% |
2009 | 10.2% | 18.6% | 70.3% |
2010 | 10.5% | 18.3% | 69.7% |
* Data are derived from weighted average of non-elderly childless households and households with children.
Note: Wages and benefits, cash transfers, in-kind income, and tax credits comprise 98.5 percent of all pretax income for the bottom fifth non-elderly population in 2010. The other 1.5 percent is made up of capital gains, proprietors' income, other business income, interest and dividends, and other income.
Source: Authors' analysis of Congressional Budget Office (2013)