A recent report shared that the difference between the top 10% and bottom 10% of earners in Virginia is the widest in thirty years, second only to New Jersey.
The report, published by the Commonwealth Institute, revealed that the top 10% made a minimum of 5.7 times more than the bottom earners.
Michael Cassidy, the organization’s president, explained: “High earners have made wage gains despite the recession.”
Northern Virginia- A State of Its Own
“When you look at the northern part of the state, that’s where all the information sciences are, the defense contractors are,” explained Daraius Irani of the Division of Economic and Community Outreach at Towson University. “If you look at the southeastern/southwestern corers of Virginia, that’s where the problems are. Northern Virginia is, in itself, a state to some degree.”
Due to the high-paying technology and government jobs, Northern Virginia has had the highest average weekly wage rate for years. Another factor is college graduates, who have a significant advantage over those with less education.
“Individuals without college of high school diplomas are always going to be suffering, and unfortunately, this recession has exacerbated that fact,’ Mr. Irani said.