Government Workers Make 45 Percent More Than Private Sector Employees

CDS ^ | 2/9/2010 | Chris Banescu

[ezfindit]

A new report from the Bureaus of Labor Statistics that was released today, shows that almost 15 million Americans are currently out of work and unable to find jobs. Worse still, those with jobs have not seen their wages increase much in the last 10 years. However, government workers are enjoying a boom in hiring and generous salary increases thanks in large part to very cushy pensions and other benefits.

The pay differential between public sector employees and the private sector shows a troubling trend. Government workers have benefited greatly, even during the severe recession, and their wages now outpace the employee compensation in private industry. According to recent research done by Mark J. Perry, professor of finance and economics at the School of Management of the University of Michigan government employees make on average 45% more than private sector employees.

[ezfindit]

This is beyond sickening. How much longer America will you tolerate such inequitable and unfair policies.

[GeronL]

Our “servants” have become our masters.

[GeronL]

conservativedatingsite.com?? lol

[lesko]

Fear not my friends - I’m a government worker with a modest salary. All my private sector friends make a hell of a lot more than me.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I think the University of Michigan study must be working with aggregate numbers. The private sector number would include a whole lot of part-time workers at or near minimum wage at WalMart, Burger King, etc. Since the public sector is generally covered by “living wage” laws, etc., they can't help but have a discrepancy.

[Domandred]

Not much longer. I think this summer is going to be particularly hot.

[bayliving]

My sister-in-law is a federal leech, um I mean employee.

When I mentioned to my wife that I thought her sister was a leech, my wife got upset. That is until I informed her that what my wife did for a living (customer support for a health insurance company) was providing a service to doctors. What I did for a living produced heat in the winter and cooling in the summer. That we both were producers of products or services that people needed.

What her sister does has nothing to do with producing ANYTHING other than our taxes to go up.

Then I had to remind my wife that her sister makes a lot more to do much less than what she does.

My wife didn't say another word...

True story that just happened two hours ago. God's honest truth. I had no idea that this story even existed as we were not home from work yet.

[AndyJackson]

While this is explosive, it is utter and complete nonsense. Of course average pay scales of government workers are higher than average private sector for a number of reasons. The government does not, except in the armed services, hire folks to do menial labor. That is contracted out. Job for job, government salaries do not enrich anyone. Indeed, we use a temp firm that also provides a lot of contract secretarial and executive assistance support to the federal government simply because government salaries for office staff are insufficient to attract the most competent staff and many of these positions are therefore contracted out.

The real problem is not that too much is paid, but too many people are hired to do things that don't benefit the country. The entire regulatory apparatus is part and parcel of that.

[SoCalPol]

You know it.
I am ret. legal support with the County Attys.
Support staff make Far less than in a outside firm.

The Attys make at least $100,000 - $250,000 less than on the outside.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

I think the University of Michigan study must be working with aggregate numbers. The private sector number would include a whole lot of part-time workers at or near minimum wage at WalMart, Burger King, etc. Since the public sector is generally covered by “living wage” laws, etc., they can't help but have a discrepancy

I don't believe you. In Massachusetts, state toll collectors make more than $60,000 a year. Try getting a cashiers job in the private sectore that even comes close to that. It's not the only example.

[SoCalPol]

Before I ret.Civil Service , I worked an ave. of 10 hrs.
a day, working most of the time through my lunch time,
not to mention weekends at times.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

The Attys make at least $100,000 - $250,000 less than on the outside.

Some do. Many don't.

[SoCalPol]

60,000 a year.

In my dept. all Paralegals and legal secretaries have college degrees and make Way less than 60,000. Not even close.

[muawiyah]

Hmm, toll collectors. Buddy of mine in college used to work that job during Summer.

Lots and lots of interesting sights on that job but while he was there several 18 wheelers managed to run down toll booths.

This is a sort of HIGH RISK JOB on the order of hauling dynamite.

My Summer job in a truck engine plant was much more peaceful ~ then there was the Summer at the Drive In Theatre ~ minimum wage, at night, but I got to wield the high pressure steam hose that we used to "clean" the ladies restroom at 2 AM.

I wouldn't work a toll booth for double Union Rates.

[bayliving]

Before I ret.Civil Service , I worked an ave. of 10 hrs. a day, working most of the time through my lunch time, not to mention weekends at times.

I work on ave. 8 hrs. a day but I start at 6 am and work through lunch. I do get a break at 9 am that lasts anywhere from 9:15 to 9:25. I am also expected to work on the weekends. Sometimes 24 hours a day or more. Sometimes I am required to work seven 12 hr days too. I am on my feet all day long, up and down ladders and often with at least 15 to 20 extra pounds of tools, boots or materials on my person.

Wanna trade?! ;^)

[SoCalPol]

The Dept. I was in with over 150 attys.
they All make way less than the outside.

Because it is not a profit making situation, during the 1990s over 19,000 of us in County civil service went
5 years without a raise.

Living in one of the most expensive counties in the U.S.
made it no fun.

[SoCalPol]

I started at 6:30 am to 4:30 pm and went nonstop
Was working on several cases, from homicide to child abuse
and all time sensitive.

I was working while also having over 8 major orthopedic surgeries, neuro surgery and cancer surgery

During the 1970s and 1980s I worked an ave. of 12 hr. a day

[j-damn]

*The private sector number would include a whole lot of part-time workers at or near minimum wage at WalMart, Burger King, etc.*

This point is made every time one of these stories gets re-re-re-reposted. No one listens.

*Living in one of the most expensive counties in the U.S.
made it no fun.*

Point 2—most of these jobs are in DC metro, where one needs to make 100K just to pay rent. Many other Feds work in NYC. Still more are stationed in every state capitol or large coastal port cities—all of which are more expensive to live in than Peoria, IL. Again, this point is made all the time; no one listens.

Point 3—a lot of Fed jobs are at the VA, which employs Docs & Nurses & Mental Health Practitioners. These employees are not cheap, of course.

Point 4—your local DMV guys/gals and toll booth collectors are NOT Feds.

[lone star annie]

Our public “service” employees are like the old USSR where commie party bureaucrats lived like kings while the general public had to share apartments with one or two other families.

[Mr. K]

I was woried about my son in his new job as a NY state police officer- until he told me he makes $85K

This is almost as much as I get for seniour level computer software engineering of embedded systems controllers

While i have less problem with Police officers making good money, I know many govt lardasses who sit on their butt collecting between $65K and $120K for doing absolutely nothing useful

We had one guy whose job was to print out monthly reports, and take the previous month reports to the shredder and THEN to the incinerator (they were never looked at- because you could pull the information off the intranet now)

We had another guy who was a senior level database administrator- who did not know how to turn on the database.

We had a senior level programmer who spend 6 months to do a program - until I got fed up and wrote it myself in 4 hours- they DID NOT USE mine and let him continue to work on it for 3 more months

When I finally quit in disgust they hired the county executives NEPHEW (cousin Jeffrey from the parks department) who was literally mowing lawns the week before- into the programmers position. I had to show him how to turn on the computer.

Govt. tax dollars at wor. the ocal media would not even touch the story