LONDON – In 2012, the Pew Research Center found that 85% of self-described middle-class adults in the United States believe that it is more difficult now than it was a decade ago for people like them to maintain their standard of living. The share of Americans who say that they are in the lower-middle or lower class has risen from a quarter of the adult population in 2008 to around a third today.
伦敦—2012年，皮尤研究中心（Pew Research Center）发现，85%的美国自称中产阶级成年人认为，和十年前相比，维持生活水平对他们来说变得更加困难了。自称属于中低阶级或低级阶级的成年美国人比例从2008年的四分之一上升到现在的三分之一左右。皮尤中心的研究还发现，只有63%的受访者认为努力工作能带来成功，而1999年的比例为74%。