Unbalanced distribution of income in the conditions of a socio-oriented economy

In global practice, there is a tendency towards uneven distribution of income, and therefore research on many aspects of this topic should be expanded. This study raises the pressing issues of uneven distribution of incomes, which, in turn, creates poverty and social tension among different segments of the population. The purpose of this scientific work is to consider the main reasons for the uneven distribution of income at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, which is expressed in the reduction of tax progressivity, the weakening of trade unions, the reduction of competition and monopolisation, globalisation, tax evasion, an ineffective education system, and weak corporate governance laws which allow company management to set unlimited high salaries and much more. To achieve the purpose, the following research methods were used: statistical and economic, abstract and logical, comparative analysis, typological approach, and generalisation. As a result, methods of solving the above-mentioned problems were proposed, including progressive taxation, creation of equal opportunities for obtaining higher education and high-paying work, consideration of state investments in the social sector, creation of means of social mobility, etc. The consequences that uneven income distribution can lead to include political instability, reduced social mobility, crime, low life expectancy, financial instability, economic crisis, etc. This article also includes analytical study of indicators of income distribution equality using the Gini coefficient in different countries. The study represents value for the scientific community and researchers of the issue of income distribution in the conditions of a socially oriented economy