The after-tax 90/10 income inequality ratio in 2009 was about the same as in 1993 (dipping in the 1990s, rising in the 2001-02 recession), largely because the 10th percentile did quite well after accounting for taxes, including payroll taxes; meanwhile the 90/50 ratio rose from about 2.5 around 1990 to roughly 2.75 today—a relatively small increase compared to public perception.