The report, published by Oxfam on 2/5, is based on public data for 2025 from 1,500 major corporations across 33 countries. It highlights a stark contrast in earnings: from 2024 to 2025, the average real wage of global workers saw a modest 0,5% increase, while chief executive officer (CEO) compensation in these companies surged by 11%.

In the past year, the average CEO received 8,4 million USD in salary and bonuses, an increase of nearly one million USD from the previous year. The 10 highest-paid CEOs worldwide collectively earned over one billion USD. Oxfam's data further indicates that a typical employee would need to work 490 years to match the average annual compensation of a CEO.

This widening disparity reflects a long-term trend. Between 2019 and 2025, the real wages of global workers declined by 12%. Experts estimate this loss is equivalent to employees working unpaid for 108 days over the six-year period. In contrast, real compensation for CEOs rose by 54% during the same timeframe. Oxfam identifies this growing gap between executive and employee incomes as a persistent issue, with executives capturing an increasingly larger share of the economy.

Illustration: Pexels

Patricia Stottlemyer, a representative for Oxfam America, emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, "It is impossible to discuss the cost of living crisis while ignoring the issue of extreme inequality between executive and worker salaries".

The financial strain on ordinary households is evident. A CNBC survey conducted in April revealed that 49% of Americans have cut non-essential spending, 40% have tapped into their savings, and about one-third are pursuing side jobs, working overtime, or actively seeking better-paying employment.

Oxfam experts assert that businesses possess sufficient financial resources to increase employee wages. Bridging the income gap, they contend, hinges on implementing policies that effectively redistribute economic gains.

By Khanh Linh (According to Oxfam, Guardian)