Deutsche Welle, 19 Jan 2013, Christina Bergmann: "For decades, the US middle class could count on a good and improving standard of living. But the financial crisis has laid bare shifts in America's foundation, which suggest the middle class is being squeezed out. The numbers speak for themselves: Six out of 10 American adults were middle class in 1971. 40 years later, the figure was down to just half. And most middle class Americans say that they have difficulty maintaining their standard of living. That's no surprise because the income of the middle class has fallen in real terms. In 2001, a family of three earned $73,000 (54,800 euros) on average. In 2010, it was just about $70,000. The assets of the average American family fell over the same period from $130,000 to $93,000 - around the same level as 30 years ago. Three decades of growth have evaporated. ... Globalization and technological progress have also contributed to America's shrinking middle class, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, the credit rating agency's research and consulting division. US companies are outsourcing to countries where labor is cheaper. So certain jobs and skills are no longer in demand on the US market."