Another Pickett theory goes west

The mainstream media lap up so-called evidence of the evils income inequality generates. Pickett and Wilkinson's Spirit Level, and local poverty guru, Max Rashbrooke, get plenty of coverage. But the following wasn't reported.

This week the Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit released a report about the teenage birth rate in NZ. It contained  this revelation:

Pickett et al (2005:1182) found that teenage birth rates were positively correlated to OECD income inequality ratings (a correlation of 0.73).

However, more recent trends in income inequality and teenage birth rates do not show this relationship, with New Zealand showing a small decline in income inequality since 1990 and a large decline in teenage birth rates, but the US showing increasing income inequality despite declining teenage birth rates (OECD, 2013).

Yet another Pickett theory goes west.