????收入不均衡一直是今年的熱門討論話題，無論是托馬斯?皮凱蒂在其暢銷書《21世紀的資本》（Capital in the Twenty-First Century）中對這一問題的剖析，還是美國總統(tǒng)奧巴馬提高最低工資標準的行動，我們都能看到它的身影。

????人們所關(guān)心的核心問題是：收入不均衡是否會拖累美國經(jīng)濟？

????標普評級（Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services）發(fā)布的一篇新報告對此予以了肯定的回答。

????研究人員寫道，“在當前，美國這個世界最大的經(jīng)濟體正掙扎著走出大蕭條陰影，而政府又急需資金為人口的老齡化買單，因此，美國目前的收入不均衡水平正在抑制GDP的增長。”

????相關(guān)數(shù)據(jù)并不一定是最新的，但是一系列圖表卻簡單明了地總結(jié)了這一趨勢背后的推手，以及可能對經(jīng)濟增長造成的影響。

????美國個人收入正呈現(xiàn)出集中化趨勢。當我們使用基尼系數(shù)來衡量時，這一趨勢尤為明顯。該系數(shù)是用來衡量收入分配的指標，因此也能衡量收入的不均衡性?；嵯禂?shù)越高，最高收入和最低收入的差距也就越大，而這正是我們在過去數(shù)十年中所看到的趨勢。

????Income inequality has been the topic of vigorous debate this year from Thomas Piketty’s breakdown of the issue in his best-selling book, “Capital in the Twenty-First Century,” to President Obama’s campaign for a higher minimum wage.

????Everyone has a central question: Is income inequality holding back the U.S. economy?

????A new report by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services says yes.

????“The current level of income inequality in the U.S. is dampening GDP growth,” the researchers wrote, “at a time when the world’s biggest economy is struggling to recover from the Great Recession and the government is in need of funds to support an aging population.”

????The data isn’t necessarily new, but the series of charts makes salient and concise arguments as to what’s been driving the trend and the impact it could be having on economic growth.

????U.S. incomes are becoming more concentrated. This is typically shown using a Gini coefficient, a measure of income distribution and thus income inequality. A higher number means the gap between top and bottom earners is getting further apart, which is the trend we’re seeing over the last several decades.

??? 有錢人不僅收入高，而且還傾向于更多的去存錢而不是花錢。這意味著隨著國家的收入越來越向高收入人群集中，那么通過消費而回流至經(jīng)濟中的錢就會越來越少。因此，商品和服務(wù)的需求就會呈現(xiàn)疲態(tài)，難以支撐經(jīng)濟的強勁增長。

????通過債務(wù)來彌合需求缺口會帶來超漲超跌循環(huán)，而這種循環(huán)將耗盡底層收入人群的財富，將他們進一步推向深淵。

????Not only do the affluent have higher incomes, but they also tend to save more of what they earn instead of spending it. That means that as more of the nation’s income goes to top earners, the less gets passed around the economy in the form of spending. There isn’t enough demand for goods and services to prop up strong growth.

????Trying to drive the gap in demand with debt creates the boom-bust cycle, which can further push down bottom earners by depleting wealth.