Income and Wealth Inequality
Description:... Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, priding itself on being an egalitarian society. However, there is a growing divide between those with the most and those with the least. Income inequality has grown as the minimum wage and unemployment benefits have failed to match the rise in average earnings, resulting in a divergence between low-income earners and average Australian wage earners; senior executive pay is currently 150 times greater than average weekly earnings. Wealth distribution is even more unequal than income distribution in Australia - the top 20% of people have five times more income than the bottom 20%, holding 71 times more wealth. How are income and wealth inequality measured, and what are the impacts of this rising inequality? Can we plug the gap between the 'haves' and 'have-nots'?
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