Report: Gap widening between workers' and CEOs' pay in the US

2026-05-02 22:33:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

A new report from Oxfam and the International Trade Union Confederation highlights a widening gap between the pay of company executives and workers in the United States.

According to their analysis, in 2025 CEO pay grew about 20 times faster than the wages of ordinary workers.

The data show that the average hourly wage of private sector workers increased by only 1.3% after adjusting for inflation during the period 2024–2025.

At the same time, the earnings of the CEOs of the 384 companies in the S&P 500 index rose by 25.6%. This stark contrast highlights the inequality in earnings growth.

According to a previous report by the Economic Policy Institute, the average CEO in the US earns about 281 times more than a typical worker.

In 2024, the average CEO salary reached nearly $23 million, a significant increase compared to previous decades, when the ratio was around 60 to 1.

The report also addresses the economic challenges many Americans are experiencing. A large portion of consumers report that price increases are outpacing their incomes.

Inflation has increased and prices have increased significantly over the past four years, making life less affordable for many families.

As a result, many individuals are being forced to take measures such as cutting expenses, using savings, postponing large purchases, and seeking additional sources of income. A significant portion of the population declares that they live paycheck to paycheck.

The report also points out that the purchasing power of the federal minimum wage has declined significantly since 2019. According to the authors, this situation reflects an economic system that disproportionately favors the wealthy.

As a solution, it is proposed to undertake policies aimed at increasing the minimum wage and higher taxation of the rich.

A new bill proposed in Congress aims to raise the minimum wage to $25 an hour by 2031 for large companies, while smaller businesses will have more time to reach this level.

According to the report, the financial resources to improve wages exist, but how wealth is distributed depends on the country's political decisions and economic priorities./CNBC