Study: Government Workers Make 78 Percent More Than Private Sector

[ElCubano]

Can you explain why so many Federal government jobs (as well as state & local) are unfilled for such long periods of time? In fact the time required to fill a government job is three times the amount of time in the private sector.

Because the ones doing the hiring will get to it after they come back from break? in the private sector time is money in the public sector no one cares about the bottom line. cmon man seriously, we don't need any kind of report to figure this out. when they talk about salary, it might be 1/3 less but they work 2/3 less so hence the reason they are overpaid.

 

[gwb-trading]

Of course I noticed that you didn't include productivity in your little list of adjustments. LOL

You couldn't. Or the whole 'adjustments' scam to justify the unjustifiable would fall apart.

You can google it.

Nobody beats the productivity of the paper-pushers in the Federal government. Nobody pushes more papers per hour. Of course, most of them are processed incorrectly. But quality is different than productivity.

 

[AAAintheBeltway]

Can you explain why so many Federal government jobs (as well as state & local) are unfilled for such long periods of time? In fact the time required to fill a government job is three times the amount of time in the private sector. I don't see federal jobs (except in D.C. itself) as highly coveted. In fact most need to be filled with contractors at much higher rates because no applicants can be found.

I certainly would not take a federal job in IT Security, the pay is 1/3 of the amount in the private sector market.

I am not aware that government jobs are going begging. Far from it. No doubt the hiring process is as cumbersome and inefficient as everything else.

I can't comment on IT jobs, but if you get a civil service job, you will never be laid off, never be outsourced, never have your company taken over, never have your health plan terminated, never worry about your retirement benefits and you will enjoy lavish benefits. For those at the top of the private sector, those seem like mundane issues, but I can assure you, for the vast majority of people, they are huge.

 

[jem]

the difference maker is the retirement program. the equivalent of saving 3 to 5 million dollars in 20 years if you took a law job with the govt 20 years ago. They get 80 percent of the last year or more... and govt workers find all sorts of ways to max those last few years of pay.

Then the cheeky govt workers find a way to go out on disability that last year and get most of their pay as disability instead of pay. That creates tax free retirement money.

For instance I was offered a gov't job in in Riverside CA in the early 90s. Riverside gave me headaches in the summer because of the L.A. smog but... the job was fun... the people were good... and every 3 years you got a 3 or 4 month sabbatical. In short I turned down a very good job.

After 6 months working at a private firm... I called up the person who offered me the job... too late and they don't make second offers. ( which I accepted... instead of calling back every week until they needed somebody.)

I would be retired now with a 6 figure income due to me at 65... and I would still probably be doing the same thing I am now. Of course I might not have met my wife in San Diego and had the same 4 kids. But... maybe.. I would have.

 

[ElCubano]

I am not aware that government jobs are going begging. Far from it. No doubt the hiring process is as cumbersome and inefficient as everything else.

I can't comment on IT jobs, but if you get a civil service job, you will never be laid off, never be outsourced, never have your company taken over, never have your health plan terminated, never worry about your retirement benefits and you will enjoy lavish benefits. For those at the top of the private sector, those seem like mundane issues, but I can assure you, for the vast majority of people, they are huge.

Also very hard to get fired. You would have to be an absolute idiot doing something perhaps even illegal to get thrown out, where as in the private sector if you are a slacker they can get you out.

 

[AAAintheBeltway]

Also very hard to get fired. You would have to be an absolute idiot doing something perhaps even illegal to get thrown out, where as in the private sector if you are a slacker they can get you out.

Yes, totally. Who wants their livelihood always at risk of a vindicative or crazy boss who decides to fire you? It's one thing when you're 25. At 55. you're not getting another job most likely.

Like obscene CEO pay, this is an area where republicans would do themselves a big favor by realizing that free market economics is an idea, not a religion. Sometimes there are bigger considerations than always taking the side of Big Business.

 

[Fractals 'R Us]

The fact that almost all government jobs are highly coveted and have many applicants for available positions tells you all you need to know about salary levels.

Private sector:Fire at will. Public Sector:Never fire anybody. Not to mention that the public sector doesn't work a full week, they golf on Fridays... They probably laugh at all the private sector workers, what with their layoffs and firings...

 

[piezoe]

Any study that does not compare wages based on job role is worthless.

For example IT job role wages inside the Federal government are about 60% of the private sector for a similar role.

The majority of Federal jobs require a 4 year degree; the majority of private sector jobs do not. Comparing the average wage is absurd; like comparing apples and oranges.

You continue to be to be a source of calm, good sense, and good humor too, on occasion. Thank you.

 

[gwb-trading]

You continue to be to be a source of calm, good sense, and good humor too, on occasion. Thank you.

Thank you. I appreciate the positive feedback. I attempt to bring facts and meaningful statistical information to the conversation on P&R while always urging everyone to be civil to one another no matter their political perspective.

And yes, I am probably more at home on the jokes thread than P&R. However many politicians - on both sides of the aisle - are jokes & deserve to be mocked.