Outsized Gains at the Top Worsen Oregon Income Inequality

Since 1980 and since the end of the Great Recession, income inequality has worsened, with the top 1 percent reaping a disproportionate share of Oregon’s economic growth. By one key measure — the income accruing to the top one-tenth of 1 percent of Oregon earners, roughly 1,700 households in all of Oregon — income inequality in Oregon stands just a hair below its all-time high.

Confronting income inequality is perhaps the greatest challenge facing Oregon today. A growing body of research indicates that income inequality not only limits the ability of working families to get ahead, but also undermines economic growth. Lawmakers must enact policies that reduce income inequality to ensure all Oregonians share in economic opportunity.