Edward Wolff on the American middle class

For many years, an integral part of the American dream has involved making it to the middle class. We associate the phrase with steady, secure work, home ownership and providing for a comfortable ? if not lavish ? lifestyle for our family. But has middle class America fundamentally changed since the Great Recession hit? Do people that once saw themselves as solidly middle class see themselves differently now?

We take you on a journey on what the middle class has given this nation.

Edward Wolff, professor of economics at New York University, breaks down some of the numbers behind what defines America’s middle class. He explains why the middle class was hit hardest by the economic crisis and what recovery will look like for this sector of society moving forward.