Union: CEOs Now Make 373 Times More Than Average Worker

The chief executives of the largest U.S. publicly-traded companies are now making 373 times more than the average worker, according to an AFL-CIO report. CEO compensation rose by about 16 percent last year, to about $13.5 million among those at S&P Top 500 firms. That compared to a 2.4 percent increase for the average worker, who earned about $36,134 in 2014. That’s a step toward equality, though, compared to the year 2000, when the ratio was 525 times to one. Back in 1980, the gap was far more modest 42 to one. Critics took issue with the union’s numbers, on the ground that they don’t include company pension contributions.