Given that affluent households spend a smaller share of their incomes and wealth, greater inequality translates into lower overall consumption, thereby hindering the recovery of economies already burdened by inadequate aggregate demand. Today’s high levels of inequality also impede the structural reforms needed to boost productivity, while undermining efforts to address residual pockets of excessive indebtedness.
丰裕家庭花费收入和财富的比例较低，因此，不平等性的升高会带来总体消费水平的降低，从而制约已不堪总需求不足重负的经济复苏。今天的高度不平等性还阻碍了提振生产率所需要的结构性改革，也不利于修复过度负债者干瘪的钱包。