Since the late 1970s, the post-tax income of the richest fifth has increased five times as fast as the poorest fifth in the US, and four times as fast in the UK. Even more important has been the growing gap between average (mean) and median income: that is, the proportion of the population living on half or less of the average income in the US and Britain has been growing.
结果是可以预料的。1970年，美国顶级CEO税前薪酬大约是普通员工的30倍；如今是263倍。在英国，1970年顶级CEO基本工资（不含奖金）是普通员工的47倍，2010年为81倍多。20世纪70年代末以来，美国最富有的20%人群的税后收入增速是比最贫穷的20%人群的5倍，英国则是4倍。更重要的是，普通（平均）收入和中位收入之间的差距在扩大。也就是说，收入不超过平均收入一半的美国人和英国人比重一直在增加。