Number: 96-187
Title: A Comparison of the Pay of Top Executives and Other Workers
Authors: Linda Levine, Domestic Social Policy Division 
Abstract: The level of top executive compensation has been of interest to policymakers, shareholders, and employees for several different reasons over the years. Most recently, concern has centered on those corporations whose senior executives have enjoyed substantial pay packages while they have misstated their firms' financial condition. A little earlier in the current decade, it focused on the compensation of airline executives seeking federal assistance and/or concessions from employees. While the amount of executive salaries, bonuses, and long-term incentives sometimes is looked at in isolation, a comparison often is made between the pay package of senior executives and of employees in general to demonstrate the alleged unfairness of the corporate wage structure. The focus of this report is on the size of average executive and worker pay over the years.
Pages: 5
Date: May 4, 2006