# Labor's share of U.S. economy has fallen

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/labors-share-of-u-s-economy-has-fallen/645554
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 30, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/labors-share-of-u-s-economy-has-fallen/645554 "2012-12-30T06:40:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
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### Author: ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/labors-share-of-u-s-economy-has-fallen/645554/1 "2012-12-30T06:40:04Z")

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There is an [interesting graph](http://newshour.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/2012/12/06/Andrew_Smithers_chart_business_desk.JPG) on a [PBS News page](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2012/12/capital-wins-labor-loses-but-a.html). It shows that U.S. corporate income fluctuated near a 71/29 ratio (labor vs capital) for many decades, but beginning about 2001 slid in capital’s favor and is now about 64/36.

Of course the value of capital has increased over time, while the value of unskilled labor decreases, but that doesn’t explain the recency of the big change.

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