Friend,

Last year, annual CEO compensation at the United States’ top 350 firms grew to an average of $21.3 million, a 14% increase, according to new analysis by EPI’s Lawrence Mishel and Jori Kandra.

Take a look at this chart, below, and then share it on Facebook and Twitter.

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Just follow the purple line showing how CEO-to-worker pay ratio has increased from 20-to-1 up to 320-to-1.
 
In addition to the pay ratio, EPI data makes clear that from 1978 to 2019, CEO compensation grew by a staggering 1,167%. Meanwhile, the compensation of a typical worker rose just 13.7% during that entire period.
 
That is an outrageous disparity in pay, which undermines the ability of the middle class to grow and prosper.
 
Together, we are fighting to stop runaway CEO pay. EPI's economists have generated a series of proposals that would effectively address this issue that has gotten worse and worse with each passing decade.
 
We must:
  • Reinstate higher marginal income tax rates at the very top of the income ladder;
  • Set corporate tax rates higher for firms that have higher ratios of CEO-to-worker compensation;
  • Cap compensation and tax anything over the cap;
  • Allow greater use of “say on pay,” which allows a firm’s shareholders to vote on top executives’ compensation.
The CEO to worker pay ratio is a cornerstone of EPI’s research, providing activists, thought-leaders, and policy makers with the data they need to fight for progressive economic policies that will lift up working people throughout our country. Our work, and your support, play an even more critical role as we navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Thank you for all you do to fight for an economy that works for all us, not just the wealthy few.
 
Eve Tahmincioglu
Director of Communications, Economic Policy Institute
 
P.S. If you value EPI’s critical research, please consider a donation today. Thank you!
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