There's evidence that those at the upper end of the income distribution are doing much, much better. (The evidence regarding the poor and middle class is much more cloudy.)
Should businesses target the luxury market?
How are today's rich different from previous rich folks?
I explained it all in the August 2007 issue of the Businomics Audio Magazine. For those of you who don't subscribe, this is an example of the special topic that appears each month.
Just this once, you can listen for free: