America's Middle Class Losing Ground as Hispanics See Small Increase: Study

After more than four decades as the nation's economic majority, the middle class as a whole is losing ground and is now matched by the upper and lower economic tiers, according to a report released Wednesday by Pew Research Center, NBC News reported.

In 2014, almost half - 49 percent - of the nation's aggregate income went to upper-income households and 43 percent went to middle-income households. By contrast, in 1970 those numbers were 29 percent and 62 percent.

Meanwhile, Hispanics have experienced a small increase in income status since 2001, but their share in the lower-income tier was flat.

One factor behind this short-term trend for Hispanic adults, says Pew Research Center, could be the slowdown in immigration from Mexico, especially of unauthorized immigrants, who tend to be less educated.

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