Ray Dalio Warns: 60% of American Workers Are Being Left Behind

Billionaire investor Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, warned at the Fortune Global Forum in Riyadh that the U.S. economy is increasingly dependent on the top 1% of high-productivity earners, while roughly 60% of the workforce is being pushed to the margins.

According to Newsweek, Dalio said America can no longer be viewed as a single, cohesive economy. Growth is now concentrated in technology and finance, benefiting only the top 1% and the next 5–10% of workers, while the majority struggles to keep up.

He cited data showing that about 60% of Americans read at a sixth-grade level or below, limiting their ability to participate in a knowledge-based economy. With the rise of AI and digital automation, opportunities for low-skill workers are shrinking, deepening economic inequality.

Dalio warned that this trend is reducing national productivity and social stability. He urged policymakers to adopt “practical, not ideological” approaches to wealth distribution, arguing that focusing only on high-performing groups risks neglecting millions of struggling citizens.

He also reiterated concerns over the U.S. fiscal deficit and rising debt levels, warning that the nation’s borrowings could limit future growth and economic resilience.

Source: Newsweek – Ray Dalio warns 60% of Americans are falling behind in the modern economy