Middle class

Many Americans agree that the country's economy needs a stronger middle-class. But American voters seem divided on the role that unions play in providing that.

What's a picture perfect way to define the middle class? Your photos of course! Explore how others picture the middle class and upload your own snapshot to our Middle Class Photo Project.

Steve and Suellen Daniels never imagined that in their mid-50s they would struggle this much.

Marketplace's Wealth and Poverty reporters talked with people from all over the country, and many, regardless of their earning power, had very little in the way of savings.

According to Gallup's latest data, about two-thirds of Americans who put themselves as the middle class, and most voters overall are not concerned about the wealth gap.

It used to be that the middle class meant "doing well," and reaching the American Dream. What does "middle class" mean these days?

Courtney Kimsey and Jacqueline Byers, in their own words, on how their families manage on the median American income.

This week we're finding out how department stores have been faring. Macy's and Saks are in good shape; today, Kohl's says its yearly sales rose. Department stores can tell us a lot about the health of the economy -- at least part of it.

Yesterday, the president spoke about the loss of the American dream. But just how much is the middle class really shrinking?

The president speaks in Osawatomie, Kansas, where Roosevelt laid out his "square deal" for the middle class in 1910. Obama has a modern day version.