Moving into and staying in the American middle class has become more challenging over time—but there's no single culprit. In this Perspective, the authors discuss a number of subtle but important changes over a relatively long period that have blocked many middle-class pathways. Less-educated workers face a smaller set of middle-income jobs. The good jobs that remain have increased educational requirements. The American labor market has been hollowed out. Those who are employed hold jobs that are less stable, provide fewer benefits, and may not lead to longer-term careers within a company. There is a lack of internal infrastructure to invest in workers, particularly those in roles most susceptible to automation. Consequently, sustained effort toward building new pathways will take many years. The authors conclude by providing a series of potential starting points.

       Related Products

       Content

       RAND Lowy Family Middle-Class Pathways Center Feb 25, 2021

       Research conducted by RAND Education and Labor

       Funding for this research was provided by gifts from RAND supporters and income from operations. The research was conducted within the RAND Lowy Family Middle-Class Pathways Center with RAND Education and Labor.

       This report is part of the RAND Corporation perspective series. RAND perspectives present informed perspective on a timely topic that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND perspectives undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

       Permission is given to duplicate this electronic document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Copies may not be duplicated for commercial purposes. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is prohibited. RAND PDFs are protected under copyright law. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit the RAND Permissions page.

       The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.