Arthur,
This Toronto study is a superb example of the hourglass (or inverted brandy
glass) job structure phenomenon that we have talked about on Futurework
many times.
Over the past 300 years we have seen a pyramidal job structure change to a
column, which became a diamond shape (1950-1980 I suggest) which then very
quickly became nipped in the middle (about 1980 and onwards) into an
hourglass. In most advanced countries there seems to be a ratio of
something like a 3:1 or 4:1 between the lower part and the upper part
respectively. However, the upper lobe is a great deal larger than the elite
used to be in former (agricultural) times or even in early industrial
times. We don't have occasional millionaires and rare billionaires in the
world today as we used to, even in our own lifetimes: we have millions of
the former and hundreds of the latter.
If we're now approaching an era of little or no economic growth -- as seems
likely for various reasons -- together with an increasing complexity of the
better-paid jobs (and a continuing dumbing down of the majority of jobs) --
then unless advanced countries carry out a radical transformation of their
state educational systems then, at best, a permanent social divide will
become entrenched or, at worst, the lower part will gradually wither away
as food and basic energy becomes increasingly expensive and medical
services deteriorate (and not to speak of the ever-growing success of the
hard drugs mafia).
Keith
At 09:29 15/12/2010 -0500, you wrote:
<http://www.thestar.com/article/906985>http://www.thestar.com/article/906985
Toronto is headed toward a scenario where nearly two thirds of residents
will be in the low income bracket by 2025, according to a study set to be
released Wednesday.
The latest update of the Three Cities within Toronto study from 2007
continues to paint a devastating pictureof income segregationby
neighbourhoods, according to one source who has seen the report.
Prior to this latest update, one released last year that was based on the
latest census data showed that 15 of the citys middle income
neighbourhoods have disappeared since 2001. The majority of these areas
reverted to low income, where individual earnings were 20 to 40 per cent
below the city average.
It shows that if current trends continue, a total of 10 per cent of the
city will be middle income earners by 2025; 30 per cent will be upper
middle income; and a whopping 60 per cent of Torontos residents will be in
the low to very low income bracket, sources say.
Thats quite a swing from 1970, when 66 per cent of Toronto neighbourhoods
were middle income, 15 per cent were upper income, and 19 per cent were
low income
Keith Hudson, Saltford, England
<http://allisstatus.wordpress.com/2010/12/>http://allisstatus.wordpress.com/2010/12/
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