Income equality and how it affects Nebraskans will be explored in a free Sept. 30 webinar led by Eric Thompson, an economist and director of the Bureau of Business Research at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Income inequality has been a hot topic in economic and political circles in recent years, with candidates and economists discussing the growing disparity between the rich and everyone else in the U.S. during recent decades.

“Income and wage inequality have grown in Nebraska and the United States over the last ten years,” Thompson said. “This webinar measures the rise of inequality in Nebraska over the last decade, charts trends in equality over the last few years, and discusses factors contributing to the rise in inequality, including the Great Recession, technological progress, globalization, social change and methods of job search.”

While income inequality has increased in both Nebraska and the U.S. over the past decade, Thompson said Nebraska has grown slightly more equal in the most recent three years, at least in terms of hourly wages.

The Sept. 30 webinar is from noon to 1 p.m. Pre-registration is not required. To join in, click here and enter the passcode “Income.”