The real reason incomes rise and why they drop

Getting ahead financially is mainly about what you earn at work, not what you make from investments. Researchers found that promotions, skills, and better jobs drive most upward income movement. But when people slip backward, falling investment income is usually the main reason. Labor builds income steadily; capital is riskier and more unpredictable.

source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251219093312.htm