The immiseration of low- and medium-educated people: The frightening case of the United States

In the United States, the labour market has polarised ( jobs are concentrating at the two extremes: high-skilled and high-paid; and low-skilled and low-paid) . I n particular, this has seen people with low to medium levels of education lose access to intermediate jobs and concentrate in low-wage, low-skilled jobs. Technological progress therefore has little effect on the most highly educated (who still have access to skilled jobs) , but has a dramatic effect on the least educated (who no longer have access to intermediate jobs), blocking social mobility and driving up inequality and poverty. Education seems the only solution to resolve this inequality trap and lack of social mobility: the number of people with only a low or medium level of education must be reduced.