We can argue if overall America benefited from globalization or not. But no doubt globalization hurts American middle class which shrunken from 61% of 1970-1980 (pre-globalization era) to 51% of today. Offshoring put downward pressure on wages for some manufacturing workers while benefiting consumers and highly skilled professionals. The middle class was “hollowed out” from both rich and poor ends. This increases the gap of inequality.

But the most troubling thing is not just the number of the poor and middle class, it is economic well-being. Both middle class and the poor have been struggling with increasing financial pressure of essential costs like housing, college tuition, childcare, healthcare, insurance… they matter more on the economic inequality.