Comfortably anxious: Attitudes of the top 10% income earners towards inequality and redistribution

When we think about inequality in society, we tend to picture the very richest (the Bezos and Zuckerbergs of the world), and give less thought to those earning less but who are still ‘relatively’ well-off. 

In London, most would agree that earning £80,000 would not make one exceptionally wealthy, and in some contexts one might even struggle to make it to the housing ladder in an economy increasingly governed by wealth, as Piketty demonstrated. 

In a report that came out last September, we compare the characteristics and attitudes towards economic inequality of the top 10% of income earners in Ireland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. We find that across these countries, members of the top 10% tend to underestimate their own position. 

We argue that part of the reason for that is the increasing distance between the top 1% and the rest. Research has shown that the top 10% of income earners is less likely than the rest to support redistribution. 

They tend to be mostly professionals and managers, and unsurprisingly tend to be over-represented in the public debate. However, in our interviews we also found that they often do not feel economically secure and worry that their children might struggle to maintain their social position. 

Hence, this presentation will also reflect on the effects of Covid-19 on this group and on the concept of the ‘Blue Wall’.

This event will be particularly useful for those interested in Sociology and Social Science.

Related links

• Thomas Coram Research Unit (TCRU)
• TCRU seminar series
• Social Research Institute