CEO pay is going up more than twice as fast as pay for regular workers, according to a study The Associated Press commissioned from Equilar.
CEOs at the biggest companies got an $800,000 pay raise in 2018, equivalent to roughly a 7 percent increase, while the median worker saw just a 3 percent increase in their paychecks.
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The data examined pay for 340 CEOs from the S&P 500 who had served at least two full years and found that their median level of overall compensation increased to $12 million last year.
According to the AP, a typical worker would need to work for 158 years to earn what their CEOs earn in just one year.
Democrats clamoring for their party’s presidential nomination have made income and wealth inequality a central theme, often blasting President TrumpDonald John TrumpPapadopoulos on AG’s new powers: ‘Trump is now on the offense’ Pelosi uses Trump to her advantage Mike Pence delivers West Point commencement address MORE for tax cuts they say disproportionately benefit the wealthy.
Candidates such as Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenTrump defense pick expected to face tense confirmation 2020 Democrats target federal ban on abortion funding Gillibrand seizes on abortion debate to jump-start campaign MORE (D-Mass.) have called for taxing wealth above $50 million, while Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersJames Carville: Biden represents ‘stability’ not ‘generational change’ Ocasio-Cortez, progressives trash ‘antisemitic’ Politico illustration of Bernie Sanders 2020 Democrats target federal ban on abortion funding MORE (I-Vt.) has proposed increasing taxes on capital gains, which tend to benefit the wealthy.