Inequality in America

In 1991, the CEO to Worker pay ratio first exceeded 100, and it continued to rise throughout the 90's, eventually reaching over 200 in 1999.

If you took % from 's CEO's salary, you'd have $, and if you split that equally among all the employees of that company, they'd get $ each. , the CEO, would be left with $.

When looking at the history of minimum wage, many only consider the nominal minimum wage in absolute dollar values. However, if you adjust the minimum wage for inflation, the effective minimum wage has been mostly declining (or remaining level) since the late 1960s.

Not only are American workers earning less, but the gap between those who have gone to college and those who haven't is increasing.

"In 1979, the average college graduate made 38% more than the average high school graduate, according to the Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke. Now the average college graduate makes more than 75% more."

NYT: "The Wrong Inequality" by David Brooks

If you divide the US population into five equal groups (referred to as quintiles) based on their income, it is easy to see that much of the economic growth of the past decade has gone to the richest quintile while the income of the poorest one has remained essentially unchanged.

The great recession is recognized to have begun in December of 2007, and the unemployment rate first exceeded 7% in December of 2008 and then 8% in February of 2009. The current rate, 9% is higher than it's been since the 80s.

According to the GINI Ratio (CIA Factbook) the United States is the most unequal nation out of the G8.