[_delirium]

More data supports the hypothesis that inequality is rising because some people have more money than others, and currently it's easier to earn significant returns from capital than from labor. Of course, not everyone agrees, but Piketty et al have some evidence for the hypothesis. Is there anyone with data-driven support for the claim that changes in overall inequality are primarily driven by divergence in high-skill vs. low-skill labor incomes? To be clear, I obviously know there is a difference in high-skill vs. low-skill labor incomes, but it's not clear its magnitude is enough to account for the changes seen in macro-scale indicators like the Gini index.

[edanm]

Interesting question.

I'm not sure, but there have been a lot of economists who disagree with Piketty and written about where he goes wrong. I assume that this implicitly proves the other direction, that capital growth isn't larger than wage growth, or whatever, so it might be a good idea to look there.

[adynatos]

and that money, where did it come from? look at fortune 500, what percentage inherited it? what percentage inherited it from someone further down the ancestral line than their parents? rich people without skill will squander their fortunes.