The wealth gap between younger and older Americans has stretched
to the widest on record, worsened by a prolonged economic
downturn that has wiped out job opportunities for young adults
and saddled them with housing and college debt. The typical U.S.
household headed by a person age 65 or older has a net worth 47
times greater than a household headed by someone under 35,
according to an analysis of census data released Monday. While
people typically accumulate assets as they age, this wealth gap
is now more than double what it was in 2005 and nearly five
times the 10-to-1 disparity a quarter-century ago, after
adjusting for inflation. The analysis reflects the impact of the
economic downturn, which has hit young adults particularly hard.
More are pursuing college or advanced degrees, taking on debt as
they wait for the job market to recover. Others are struggling
to pay mortgage costs on homes now worth less than when they
were bought in the housing boom. The report, coming out before
the Nov. 23 deadline for