, Columnist
The Late '10s Were Better for Incomes Than the '90s
New income data suggest sound fundamentals before the pandemic.
The start of a surprisingly strong decade.
Photographer: Brian Harkin/Getty Images North AmericaThis article is for subscribers only.
New Census data show that the six years from 2014 through 2019 were, economically speaking, some of the best in recent American history. The last three years of President Barack Obama’s term and the first three years of President Trump’s brought income gains that probably exceeded even the boom of the late 1990s.
The economy still has some fundamental problems, even before accounting for the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. But the income growth of 2014-19 suggests the underlying engine of the U.S. economy still has the potential to create prosperity for the middle class.