Men No Longer Doing Better Than Their Fathers

American men in their 30s are doing worse than their fathers did financially, a change from just 10 years ago and a reversal of the expectation that each generation will exceed the success of their parents. In 2004, the median income for a man in his 30s, adjusted for inflation, was 12% less than for men in their 30s in 1974, the Wall Street Journal reports.
 

The study, by the Pew Charitable Trusts, also showed that family income now lags behind productivity growth: between 1974 and 2000, productivity increased 56% but wages rose only 29%. Since 2000 the disparity is even steeper: productivity rose 16% while  income fell 2% (More economics stories.)