▁production ▁technology ▁that ▁fav ors ▁sk illed ▁over ▁un sk illed ▁labor ▁by ▁increasing ▁its ▁relative ▁product ivity ▁and , ▁therefore , ▁its ▁relative ▁demand ". ▁For ▁example , ▁one ▁scholar ly ▁col lo qu ium ▁on ▁the ▁subject ▁that ▁included ▁many ▁prominent ▁labor ▁econom ists ▁estimated ▁that ▁techn ological ▁change ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁over ▁ 4 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁increase ▁in ▁inequality . ▁Other ▁factors ▁like ▁international ▁trade , ▁decl ine ▁in ▁real ▁minimum ▁w age , ▁decl ine ▁in ▁union ization ▁and ▁rising ▁imm igration , ▁were ▁each ▁responsible ▁for ▁ 1 0 – 1 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁increase . ▁ ▁Education ▁has ▁a ▁notable ▁influence ▁on ▁income ▁distribution . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁roughly ▁ 5 5 % ▁of ▁income ▁ear ners ▁with ▁doctor ate ▁degrees ▁– ▁the ▁most ▁educated ▁ 1 . 4 % ▁– ▁were ▁among ▁the ▁top ▁ 1 5 ▁percent ▁ear ners . ▁Among ▁those ▁with ▁master ' s ▁degrees ▁– ▁the ▁most ▁educated ▁ 1 0 % ▁– ▁roughly ▁half ▁had ▁in comes ▁among ▁the ▁top ▁ 2 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁ear ners . ▁Only ▁among ▁households ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁qu int ile ▁were ▁household ers ▁with ▁college ▁degrees ▁in ▁the ▁majority . ▁ ▁But ▁while ▁the ▁higher ▁education ▁commonly ▁transl ates ▁into ▁higher ▁income , ▁and ▁the ▁highly ▁educated ▁are ▁dis pro port ion ately ▁represented ▁in ▁upper ▁qu int ile ▁households , ▁differences ▁in ▁educational ▁att ain ment ▁fail ▁to ▁explain ▁income ▁dis cre pan cies ▁between ▁the