income news stories on Newser

Actually, You Only Need $50K Per Year to Be Happy

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:30:05 CDT

Good news for those of you not quite making $75,000 per year : A new study finds that an annual income of just $50,000 is enough to inspire happiness. A previous study put the magic happiness number at $75,000, finding that even Americans making significantly more than that...

The Exact Income You Need To Be Happy Is...

Kevin Spak — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:00:00 CST

How much money is enough money? Exactly $75,000, according to a new study. Economist Angus Deaton and Nobel prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman looked at data from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, and found that people reported becoming happier as their household income increased—until it hit $75,000. After that,...

Paycheck Data Dismal in 2010

Kevin Spak — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:26:23 CDT

The Social Security Administration quietly released payroll data for 2010 yesterday, and they were “in a word, awful,” writes David Cay Johnston at Reuters —assuming you’re not a millionaire, that is. The number of people making at least $1 million rose by 20%, jumping from 78,000 to almost 94,...

DC Overtakes Silicon Valley in Household Income

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:59:26 CDT

Our nation's capital city boasts the highest average income in the country, reports Bloomberg . New census statistics show that a household in the DC metro area typically earns $84,523, compared to the national median of $50,045. The booming salaries are explained by a dense concentration of lobbyists, lawyers,...

Calculate Where You Are in the 99%

John Johnson — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:03:54 CDT

Just how strongly do you identify with the "We Are the 99%" slogan? It's the Wall Street Journal to the rescue, with a nifty little tool that allows you to plug in your salary and see what percentile you're in. (It's based just on salary, not total wealth.) Use...

US Incomes Fell More After Recession Than During It

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:35:00 CDT

US incomes continued to fall after the 2007 recession was declared over—at an even steeper rate than during the recession, according to a recent analysis. Inflation-adjusted median household income fell 6.7% between June 2009 and June 2011. During the two-year recession, incomes fell 3.2%. The full four-year...

Mean People Make More Money

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:59:32 CDT

Kindness doesn't pay—at least not between the hours of 9 and 5, a new study shows. The aptly-named "Do Nice Guys—and Gals—Really Finish Last?" study found that "agreeable" workers earn less than those who aren't as agreeable, with an especially wide gap for male employees. Men with...

How Many Millionaires Paid No Income Tax in '09? 1,470

Matt Cantor — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 06:43:23 CDT

Some harsh figures are tucked into newly released income tax data from 2009: As the economy shed jobs, so too did the country shed taxpayers. Two million fewer individuals and couples filed with the IRS, while some 1,470 people earning $1 million or more didn’t pay a dime, the...

Chrysler Turns 1st Profit Since Bankruptcy

Matt Cantor — Mon, 02 May 2011 08:09:27 CDT

Good news for Detroit: The Big Three automakers are all profitable once again. Chrysler has reported its first net profit since leaving bankruptcy nearly two years ago, with a net income of $116 million in the first quarter. The firm saw revenue jump 35% to $13.1 billion compared to...