Corporate Profits Are Soaring. At The Same Time, Workers Hit Their Lowest Share of National Income Ever Recorded.

A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that U.S. workers received just 54.1% of national income in early 2026, the lowest level recorded since the data series began in 1947. (Credit: Annabelle Gordon/AFP via Getty Images)

A growing number of Americans say they feel financially worse off despite a strong job market. New research suggests that the cause could be the fact that workers are receiving the smallest share of the nation's income since the government began tracking the data nearly eight decades ago.

The report, conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, found that U.S. workers received just 54.1% of national income in early 2026, the lowest level recorded since the data series began in 1947.