Real Income, 1%, the rest of us, wages and inflation
Most corporations, organizations and 'the economy' - including tax codes - are set up to suck profit and cash up and out the top. Sources: U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For the U.S., average worker pay to CEO pay ranges go from 1 to 300s up to 1 to 600s.
At the high end:
Worker makes $15 per hour, ~$30k per year,
CEO makes up to $9,000 per hour, $18,000,000 per year.
When run for executive level leadership (CxO, V.P., etc.) it's still in the 1 to 200 to 1 to 300 range.
And then there are shareholder payouts in dividends and stock buybacks. Profit and cash get sucked up and out the top of almost every organization. 'Trickle down' is a myth. There's nothing left to trickle.
A bit insane. Maybe even criminal? It's certainly wrong. "It ain't right, but it's true."
Oh, and by the way, while real inflation on the things normal people buy and need has continued to compound and push workers into poverty, minimum wage has stayed the same since 2009 (17 years).
As proposals in congress to raise minimum wage for the U.S. keep getting shut down, there are actually members of congress who both vote against every minimum wage raise and want to lower it!
It cracks me up - in a bad way! - to read and hear inflation reports that don't take compounding into account and that include things like "inflation remains low at only X% when the volatile food, transportation and energy categories are excluded." Or some B.S. like that. I don't know about your household but food, transportation and energy are not only essential but make up a huge % of our budget!
Also since 2009, for the U.S., the top 1% of 'earners' pay has gone up over 230%:
In 2009, people in the top 1% of taxpayers made $343,927 or more. In 2025 the top 1% made $794,129 or more. That's growth of over 230%, far above compounded inflation.
But minimum wage hasn't budged at all and average worker pay is up between 50% and 70% depending on whose statistics you use and believe. This has not kept pace with compound actual inflation over the same time period. And my pay has only gone up when I change jobs, but not 70%.
Examples:
Everyday Family Budget Price Changes (2009 vs. 2026)
Gasoline: Rose from about $1.79 to $3.29 per gallon (an 83% increase).
Eggs: Jumped from about $1.85 to $3.59 per carton (a 94% increase).
Chicken: Increased from about $1.29 to $2.08 per pound (a 61% increase).
Bread: Moved from about $1.38 to $1.84 per loaf (a 33% increase).
Electricity: Climbed from about $0.13 to $0.19 per kilowatt-hour (a 46% increase).
...And housing and healthcare both far outpaced inflation rises in costs.
...And with the war on, 2026 inflation is going to be a doozie!