The article examines how people's earnings change over time in Canada from 1982 to 1996. The researchers looked at different age and gender groups to see how likely they were to move up or down in earnings. They found that during economic downturns, like the one in 1990-92, men had a harder time moving up in earnings. This means that when the economy is not doing well, it's tougher for some people to earn more money.