两个美国：“K 型经济”的成因与出路

Economic Characteristics - Since mid-2025, the U.S. economy has exhibited "jobless growth" with an average monthly non-farm employment increase dropping to 18,000, significantly below the historical average of 109,000 during non-recession periods[1][12] - The U.S. economy is experiencing a "K-shaped economy," characterized by diverging consumption, employment, wages, and wealth, where high-income households see consumption growth significantly outpacing that of low-income households[1][2] Causes of K-shaped Economy - The "jobless growth" phenomenon is attributed to structural imbalances in the economy, including economic slowdown, monetary easing, and the impacts of Trump's policies on immigration and tariffs, alongside a structural bull market in U.S. stocks[2][42] - The labor market has become increasingly relaxed, with low-wage groups feeling the economic downturn first and recovering last, leading to a widening gap in income and wealth distribution[2][43] Long-term Trends - The K-shaped characteristics of income and wealth distribution in the U.S. have been developing since the 1980s, with real labor income growth lagging behind productivity growth, reflecting the rise of capital and technology over labor[2][62] - The wealth distribution is heavily skewed, with the top 20% of households holding 71% of net assets and 87% of corporate equity and mutual fund assets, while the bottom 20% hold only about 3%[2][31] Future Outlook - The U.S. economy may transition from "jobless growth" to "low employment growth" in 2026, but the K-shaped characteristics are unlikely to change significantly due to a persistently relaxed labor market and continued expansion of AI capital expenditures[3][68] - Historical cases of "jobless recovery" indicate that total demand must expand to elevate labor demand and tighten the labor market, a path that may be challenging to achieve in the current economic climate[3][68]