A strong middle class defined the United States for so long that many consider it the essence of what it means to be American.

But, by many measures, the middle class is struggling. The Great Recession accelerated this downward trend, said David Madland, author of “Hollowed Out: Why the Economy Doesn’t Work Without a Strong Middle Class”.

Nearly seven years after the Great Recession officially ended, the recovery has passed by many in – or formerly in — the middle class. Much data suggests working-class and middle-class Ohioans are having a tougher time bouncing back than their counterparts nationwide. For example, drops in real household median income have been greater here than the nation as a whole.

By: Olivera Perkins, Cleveland Plain Dealer

Read the full article here.

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