Federal Workers thriving in recession; get more 6-figure salaries

[D Ghost]

By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY
The number of federal workers earning six-figure salaries has exploded during the recession, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal salary data.
Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession's first 18 months ? and that's before overtime pay and bonuses are counted.

Federal workers are enjoying an extraordinary boom time ? in pay and hiring ? during a recession that has cost 7.3 million jobs in the private sector.

The highest-paid federal employees are doing best of all on salary increases. Defense Department civilian employees earning $150,000 or more increased from 1,868 in December 2007 to 10,100 in June 2009, the most recent figure available.

When the recession started, the Transportation Department had only one person earning a salary of $170,000 or more. Eighteen months later, 1,690 employees had salaries above $170,000.

The trend to six-figure salaries is occurring throughout the federal government, in agencies big and small, high-tech and low-tech. The primary cause: substantial pay raises and new salary rules.

"There's no way to justify this to the American people. It's ridiculous," says Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, a first-term lawmaker who is on the House's federal workforce subcommittee.

Jessica Klement, government affairs director for the Federal Managers Association, says the federal workforce is highly paid because the government employs skilled people such as scientists, physicians and lawyers. She says federal employees make 26% less than private workers for comparable jobs.

USA TODAY analyzed the Office of Personnel Management's database that tracks salaries of more than 2 million federal workers. Excluded from OPM's data: the White House, Congress, the Postal Service, intelligence agencies and uniformed military personnel.

The growth in six-figure salaries has pushed the average federal worker's pay to $71,206, compared with $40,331 in the private sector.

Key reasons for the boom in six-figure salaries:

? Pay hikes. Then-president Bush recommended ? and Congress approved ? across-the-board raises of 3% in January 2008 and 3.9% in January 2009. President Obama has recommended 2% pay raises in January 2010, the smallest since 1975. Most federal workers also get longevity pay hikes ? called steps ? that average 1.5% per year.

?New pay system. Congress created a new National Security Pay Scale for the Defense Department to reward merit, in addition to the across-the-board increases. The merit raises, which started in January 2008, were larger than expected and rewarded high-ranking employees. In October, Congress voted to end the new pay scale by 2012.

? Paycaps eased. Many top civil servants are prohibited from making more than an agency's leader. But if Congress lifts the boss' salary, others get raises, too. When the Federal Aviation Administration chief's salary rose, nearly 1,700 employees' had their salaries lifted above $170,000, too.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...#uslPageReturn

[dav3]

Doesn't seem like they are too worried about the national debt.

I'm pretty sure government salaries are tax-free also.

[D Ghost]

Originally Posted by dav3

Doesn't seem like they are too worried about the national debt.

I'm pretty sure government salaries are tax-free also.

yeah, seems like everything is fine and dandy in ye olde public sector

[»Rob Content«]

[onwebcam]

They want everyone on US corporation payroll. You know the old saying "you don't bite the hand that feeds you" besides they have been illegally considering everyone US corporate employees for many years. I guess now they are trying to make it legal before more people figure out the scam and start demanding answers and compensation.

[D Ghost]

Originally Posted by onwebcam

They want everyone on US corporation payroll. You know the old saying "you don't bite the hand that feeds you" besides they have been illegally considering everyone US corporate employees for many years. I guess now they are trying to make it legal before more people figure out the scam and start demanding answers and compensation.

I heart your avatar

[the Shemp]

Originally Posted by dav3

I'm pretty sure government salaries are tax-free also.

i can see you've never worked for the govt...

[IllTestYourGirls]

Originally Posted by dav3

I'm pretty sure government salaries are tax-free also.

Wrong. Government employees owe like 3 billion in unpaid taxes.

[D Ghost]

Originally Posted by IllTestYourGirls

Wrong. Government employees owe like 3 billion in unpaid taxes.

oh snap...

[BVF]

Originally Posted by dav3

I'm pretty sure government salaries are tax-free also.

If that was the case then everybody would be flocking to the govt.....

Do you even live in America?

[gleem]

not only are they making 6 figure salaries, the benefits are untouchable compared to private sector typical benefits when it comes to paid vactions, sick days, holidays, health insurance etc... that's not even figured into this.

Looks like our retards in charge are trying to hire and spend their way out of a recession!

Talk about a growing gov!

[D Ghost]

It's straight up robbery

[LiveDose]

Morons in charge is never a good thing. We have been headed down this path for a while and the idiocy continues...

[Sly]

Originally Posted by gleem

not only are they making 6 figure salaries, the benefits are untouchable compared to private sector typical benefits when it comes to paid vactions, sick days, holidays, health insurance etc... that's not even figured into this.

Looks like our retards in charge are trying to hire and spend their way out of a recession!

Talk about a growing gov!

There are 14 federal holidays in a year. 14!

Show me a private job, besides banks, that do that many paid holidays.

[D Ghost]

Idiocracy

[TidalWave]

Im going to go work for the gubberment!

[D Ghost]

gubberment lol

[zurc-net]

[montel]

I have seen that the US government is now talking about creating jobs. Is this what they mean?

The US government does no create jobs by getting larger. Entrepreneurs and the private sector create jobs. Innovation creates jobs. Many of the people on this board (those who aren't surfers) have probably created more work in the USA than
Obama ever has or ever will.

I am not going to be sucked into the hysterical horse shit about Obama being a communist etc, but I cringe every time I hear anyone from the government talking about 'creating' jobs. If there is one thing we learned in the 20th century, its that government intervention in the economy leads to inefficiencies, and inefficiency leads to poverty.

[Sausage]

Liberal government = expansion of government, Conservative government = minimal government.
Though you took that into account when voting didn't you ;)

[D Ghost]

screw big government

[D Ghost]

Originally Posted by montel

I have seen that the US government is now talking about creating jobs. Is this what they mean?

Yep, apparently.