A Change to Advance: A Look to Income Variability in the U.S.

The following report was published by the U.S. Department of Commerce on July 1, 2005. It is reproduced in full below.

People, over time, generally experience changes in income and economic well-being. Measures such as poverty rates and median income are useful for understanding general economic trends; however, these aggregates often mask the extent of income variability experienced by individuals. Longitudinal surveys, by tracking the same households over time, allow for the study of personal income dynamics.

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce