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Federal Daily News

Federal pay gap widens ... again

The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Nov. 4 reported to the Federal Salary Council that the gap between federal and private-sector pay has increased to 26.3 percent, according to the National Federation of Federal Employees. Last year BLS reported a wage gap of 24 percent.

The council, which consists of labor and pay policy experts, as well as representatives of employee organizations that represent large numbers of General Schedule employees, submits locality pay recommendations to the President’s Pay Agent. As part of that process, the council compares federal and private-sector pay.

NFFE President William R. Dougan said that the news that feds are falling further behind on pay comes as “no surprise.”

“Federal employees have known for years that lower pay was one of the many sacrifices they made by choosing to serve their country,” Dougan said in a statement. “This may however come as a surprise to those in Congress calling for draconian cuts to federal pay and benefits as a means to ‘bring federal compensation more in line with the private sector.’”

The findings are at odds with a number of reports released over the past year, many of them commissioned by conservative think tanks, which claim that federal pay outpaces private-sector pay.


 

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Reader comments

Mon, Nov 14, 2011

About 10 years back, kids with a high school diploma were getting jobs in just about everything and getting paid as much or more than I was as a scientist with a college degree and seven years experience working for the DOI. Now, after I hung in there while the wages didn't keep pace with the economy, I should be targeted as an over-paid fed is ... like the ant and the grasshopper.

Mon, Nov 7, 2011

What can you believe? EVERYONE has an agenda. Statistics can be made to do whatever the preparer wants.

Mon, Nov 7, 2011 Valerie Sacramento

Since I'm paying by myself a $2400/mo mortgage for my very modest, very upside-down home, during this depressed economy, in a blue collar town located in a financially strapped state, I won't be quitting my GS-12, step 5 job made possible by my BS degree even with a 10% cut. I just won't be able to save for retirement anymore. I think most would agree thats its not reasonable to target all federal employees compensation because of perceptions that some feds don't work hard. That is not the issue. Federal employees' compensation is a political gameball and feds turning on each other is a weird.

Mon, Nov 7, 2011

I thought it was common knowledge feds made less. Now they want to cut pay and benefits. Be careful America the old adage "you get what you pay for" is true. Start cutting pay and benefits and that 26.2% is going to take your good people. I am already considering it. The extra 50 G's a year i could make elsewhere would give me a nice nest egg. Even though I take pride serving, I can only take so many hits in pay and benefits before I would leave. But I guess that's the point but I say again. "You get what you pay for."

Mon, Nov 7, 2011 Ammo Joe

Holly Cow! Well it just goes to show you, If you wait long enough the truth will come out. We as Feds know that that's been the answer all a long. Someone once told me: we Feds are working for the pleasure of serving our country and you can expect little pay, a little recognition, and a lot of greif for your work. Look at it this way if the tax payer wants a hot dog he pays for a hot dog, but if he wants a steak he has to pay for the steak. As a tax payer and Fed I prefer steak!

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