The Top-Heavy Economy: Managerial Greed and Unproductive Labor

Abstract

For the past fifteen years the United States economy has struggled, but the burden of this struggle has not been borne by all. This article examines the economic trends of three separate groups of Americans within an overall "master" trend: the growth of nonproductive labor — particularly the growth of managerial and supervisory occupations. The three groups are the working class, the managerial sector (especially high ranking corporate executives) and capitalists. The research shows that a class divergence has taken place in recent years. Working class incomes have stagnated but managerial sector income is on the rise. Compensation for corporate executives has risen sharply in recent years, and capitalist profits are also surging upward.