A noteworthy companion piece would be this FiveThirtyEight look into the relationship between Unions, Wages, and the Middle Class:<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;fivethirtyeight.com&#x2F;features&#x2F;americans-dont-miss-manufacturing-they-miss-unions&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;fivethirtyeight.com&#x2F;features&#x2F;americans-dont-miss-manu...</a><p>One of the more interesting points I took away is that the Midwest, though facing issues, is one of the last holdouts of a large demographic that might be called Middle Class, often in close correlation with Union presence.