Abstract:
This study explores the plausibility of extending research on income inequality to incorporate relative living standards based on household head's industry of employment. Data from the Luxembourg Income Study is used to assess the relative level and movement of per capita disposable household income for households whose heads are employed in three industries - manufacturing, construction, and trade - and six countries- - Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, and the U.S. The results indicate that typical households defined by their heads' industries of employment make significant moves within their countries' income distributions over time, and that the patterns of movement within nation-specific household income distributions vary across countries.