Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute and Jason Richwine of the Heritage Foundation have recently taken a look at two issues related to public sector pay, compensation and hours worked. What they find is that government workers work about one month less in a given year and earn more than comparably skilled workers in the private sector.
A summary of their findings on compensation were published by the Washington Post last month. Biggs and Richwine were responding to claims that public sector employees earn 35 percent less than their private sector counterparts. However, these comparisons are badly misleading.
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4 comments:
I would just like to say that this is completely wrong.
I work at a government institution. I havent seen a raise in nearly 5 years. The only way my pay has increased has been through promotion.
I was furloughed for 2 years in the middle of this as well.
I work 40 hours/week just like everyone else.
I could leave this institution whenever I would like and make over $10k more at a private institution. This is fact and Im tired of hearing everyone dog government workers.
Youre mad because we have job security. However, we have chosen job security over pay increases.
I would love to work in the private sector, however, when you have CEO's firing employees left and right while making record profits - I think I will pass.
8:54: As you know, the Federal pay scale does not provide pay raises every year. It depends on what "step" you are. Congress and the White House can issue a pay raise as part of the budge. As of August 21st, there was talk about extending the current 2 year freeze another year making that 3 years not the "nearly" 5 years you are whining about. This is driven by the inability to agree on a budget. Uh, who does the budget? Duh, Government. Go back to your ice cream..I'm crying all over my keyboard.... "President Obama told congressional leaders Tuesday that he is extending a two-year pay freeze for federal employees until at least next spring because Congress has not agreed on a budget for the next fiscal year.
The freeze will stay in effect until a spending plan is passed, but the presidential election makes it unlikely that will happen before the start of fiscal 2013 on Oct. 1. As a result, the president is required by the end of August to come up with an “alternative pay plan” to avoid a legal trigger that would automatically raise federal pay in line with private-sector salaries. The alternative pay plan is usually a routine event signaling that Congress and the White House have agreed on a salary increase for federal workers."
8:54 PM and 12:31 AM could not be closer to the truth. I also work for the government. Like 8:54, the only raise I have had in over five years is because of promotion. I left a department, supervisor and coworkers that I loved dearly just because I needed the raise. I have friends that work in the private sector that complain about small raises. Wish I could get one. I love working for the people. So to all of you people that complain about what we get paid and what little we do, come try it. We have had layoffs and no one replaced.
12:31 the first poster never stated which level of government he works at. If it is the City of Salisbury, for example, his numbers would be correct. Furloughed, no raises, ever increasing health and retirement fees/ contributions.
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