However, such inspiring American success stories have become rarer in recent years. Income and wealth inequality have risen sharply in the past four decades, while intergenerational mobility has been on the decline. In the 1980s, the top ten percent of income earners made 35% of the total income in the United States. By 2020, the top ten percent’s total income share had expanded to 45%. Many factors are responsible for the reduction in upward mobility, including unequal economic growth across classes, declining financial security, diminishing quality of public education, and reduced employment opportunities.