What is wrong with this picture: Government Workers Earn More Than Their Private-Sector Counterparts?

by **ayize** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:11 pm

A new study from the Congressional Budget Office undercuts the argument from progressive policy shops and union leaders that government workers make less money than their counterparts in the private sector.

The CBO study shows that federal employees earned an average 16% more in total compensation, meaning pay and benefits, versus workers at private companies.

The study comes at a time when President Barack Obama has called for "shared sacrifice" in the form of higher taxes in his State of the Union address and campaign speeches.

The full-time federal workforce has grown by 140,000 employees during the president’s term, to about 2.2 million workers, not counting the military or postal workers, government data show.

Federal-worker compensation was higher versus what private-sector workers receive in almost all categories, the CBO study says.

Compensation was 36% higher on average for federal employees with a high school degree; 32% higher on average for federal workers with some college education; and 15% on average higher for federal employees with a bachelor’s degree.

Total compensation was 8% higher on average for federal employees with a master’s degree and 18% less for federal workers with professional degrees or doctorates.

Compensation for federal workers costs taxpayers about $200 billion a year, the CBO study says. Of that sum, $80 billion was spent on federal workers in national defense, the study says, with the remaining $120 billion spent on personnel in other federal agencies.

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2012/01/31/government-workers-earns-more-than-private-sector/#ixzz1l3UGN4BD

by **ammi** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:14 pm

What is wrong with this whole thing

by **hrafn** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:16 pm

Wyoming State employees receive @ 85% of what like-professionals would earn in the private sector.

by **archy** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:32 pm

BEWARE, Obama wants everybody to become completely dependent upon the government for their very existence...VOTE OBAMA OUT!!

by **eilis** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:41 pm

Everything.

by **collyer** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:54 pm

To be fair there are on average more skilled jobs in the government than in the private sector

by **delron** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:02 pm

We actually may as well join the European Union now. There is no coming back from the mess that liberalism has created.

by **montrel68** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:06 pm

Google: 'Badda-Bing'

by **barclay76** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:14 pm

It's unsustainable. The unions don't like to hear that.

by **chiram97** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:19 pm

Workers are losing ground and have to compete with Chinese labor.

Advertisments:

Useful Links: