Economic Snapshots

A number of EPI Economic Snapshots featuring data from SWA are now available.

Dow's all-time high inconsequential for most Americans
Last week's record-breaking stock market numbers meant little to the bottom line of most workers, as the wealthiest 10% of Americans own nearly 80% of the value of all stocks. The Snapshot for October 11, 2006 addresses the inequality in stock wealth.

Wealth inequality is vast and growing
Inequality in the United States is on the rise, whether measured in terms of wages, family incomes, or wealth, and is much higher than that of other advanced countries. The Snapshot for August 23, 2006 looks at the rising inequality of wealth.

Employers shift health insurance costs onto workers
Not only are fewer employees receiving health insurance through their employers, but those who still receive employer-provided coverage are now paying a larger share of those insurance costs. Get the facts at a glance in the Snapshot for August 16, 2006.

Work, poverty, and single-mother families
This month marks the 10th anniversary of the welfare reform legislation signed in August 1996. Those touting the program's success often cite the sharp decline in the poverty rates of single-mother families over the course of the latter 1990s. But what economic factors are really at the heart of these improvements, and have they carried over into today's economy? Get the facts in the Snapshot for August 9, 2006.

U.S. government does relatively little to lessen child poverty rates
U.S. policies have been relatively ineffective in reducing child poverty, with the highest child poverty rate of 16 other industrialized nations. Read more in the Snapshot for July 19, 2006.

Weaker job market re-opens racial income gap
The post-2000 labor market has reversed significant progress in the income gap between African-American and white workers, and in the current labor market the gap is likely to widen further. This week's Snapshot previews data to be presented as part of the forthcoming The State of Working America, 2006/07. Read more in the Snapshot for July 5, 2006.

CEO pay-to-minimum wage ratio soars
Today's average CEO earns more before lunch in one day than the average minimum wage worker earns all year, with a compensation ratio of 821:1. CEO pay continues to climb, while the federal minimum wage has remained unchanged since 1997. Read more in the Snapshot for June 27, 2006.

CEO-to-worker pay imbalance grows
Today's CEO-to-worker compensation ratio (262:1) is the second-highest level ever recorded. In fact, the average CEO is paid in just one day of work about what the average worker has to put in a full year (260 work days) to earn. Read more in the Snapshot for June 21, 2006.