The Great Recession, as calculated by the recognized talliers of such matters, has been over for 51 months. But the latest survey of Americans by the Pew Research Center finds that 54 percent say household incomes have “hardly recovered at all.” According to 52 percent, the job situation has barely recovered. A majority, 63 percent, say the economy "is no more secure today than it was before the 2008 market crash."

This should be no surprise at a time when the top 10 percent of Americans are taking home more than half the nation's total income, more skewed than at any time in the century that records of such matters have been kept.

Even for many Americans who managed to find a job paying comparable wages after the economy started its tepid expansion in mid-2009, their investment and savings accounts are still empty from having to draw down their reserves to survive the recession. Others are still suffering the after-effects of foreclosures. And, of course, quite a few who have gotten jobs, or kept theirs during the recession, are working fewer hours, sometimes for less compensation, far less in many instances. And, although they may not know the details of the statistics, they know from talking to family and friends that the economic situation has simply not been restored to where it was when the crash struck.

More analysis below the fold.