Today’s Washington Post has an article about this year’s federal pay forecast. Things are looking good for civil servants, especially those in the DC area. Here’s an excerpt from the story:
At the start of 2007, federal employees received an average raise of 2.2 percent, with about half receiving a 1.8 percent raise.
This year, federal employees will see their pay rise by an average of 3.5 percent. About half will get a 2.99 percent raise.
The differences in the raises largely can be attributed to the political process on Capitol Hill. At the end of 2006, Congress had not completed most of the annual appropriations bill and left it to President Bush to set the 2007 raise. Last month, Congress put together a consolidated spending bill and got Bush’s signature before the year ended.
To be sure, the 2008 raise, ratified by Bush in an executive order Friday, was shaped by other considerations.
Those factors included data on wage growth in the private sector, a desire in Congress to give a solid raise to the armed forces during a war and efforts by Washington area members of Congress to renew support for the civil service, where baby-boom retirements are on the rise and agencies are finding it tougher to compete with the private sector for top talent.
“I know from having advocated for federal employees since I came to Congress that it’s easier to rail against ‘Washington bureaucrats’ than to recognize the invaluable contributions these dedicated public servants make,” Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) said in a written statement.
Federal employees, he said, “protect the homeland, fight crime, battle disease, ensure the wide variety of government functions on which we all depend operate properly and support our troops abroad.”
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) played a pivotal role in moving this year’s raise through Congress and said he was pleased that Bush took the final step to put the raise in place. “This adjustment will reap significant dividends both in terms of the morale of our federal workforce and in our efforts to recruit and retain vital government personnel,” Hoyer said.
Washington area House members and senators “fought hard to secure a fair pay adjustment this year, and we will continue to do so in the future because we believe federal employees deserve compensation equal to that of the great contributions they make in service to this nation,” he said.
The article also states that the the projected median federal salary in the DC area will be $90,698. Righteous bones.
So who’s going to pay the $609 billion bill created by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Let’s just suggest that 2008 will be a bad year to try and buy that super Gucci next-gen weapons system your service has had its eyes on.
Read the entire Washington Post story here.
(Gouge: NC)
– Ward
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Meanwhile Our Taxes Go UP as does Govt waste & the 100 Years War 2 is ongoing (Iraq).
NO services, slow services & No competition IE
Privitize Food Services
Privitize Hiring employees
Improved Civil Service Testing
Being accountable
Less Red Tape
Sloppy Service
NO Incentivers.
BIG Govt is NOT the answer.
Even Vets dont get first place for Jobs due to that dated Point system.
Get Real.
Only foreigners get Federal jobs, NOT Vets IE for Civil Service posts.
Tests 2 stupid.
Tests 2 long.
Too much emphisis on BA BS vs Certficates or Both.
Too little on Voc Ed.
Nice median. What is the average?
Who is the government going to tax once everyone is on the federal payroll? Will they just tax themselves when they withhold from their federal employees? Kind of like that Beavis and Butthead where they sold each other both of their boxes of candy by passing one dollar back and forth.
Any increase in wages like this should be accompanied by a cut in the number of public sector jobs. Safe, unionized federal workers might be a nice reliable voting block, and even more, they might be a necessary component to our security and prosperity, but there has to be some sort of check on its ridiculous growth.
sometimes I think giving away the farm is really a bad thing, soon we wont have a farm! and sometimes when people think that we dont need GOD and I’m really not sure who makes these great moves the % of the people want him in their life but a few say no SO some stupid person makes a move for all of us!! not a real smart move!
EVERY BODY IN THE WORLD GETS TAKEN CARE OF BUT US WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE FIRST I AM TIRED OF PAYING THEIR WAY.
Well another story of money being spent on Civilians and military people in Washington Dc, interesting i knew several Colonels even Generals who had to send there wifes out to work to afford the damn place, isn’t that interesting serve your country and work your ass off to do it. Now lets see the Senators and Congressmen who make what 3-10 more than the civilian workers, who get free healthcare, rides etc take a pay cut in fact i suggest they don’t get anything free anymore pay for the previlage of ripping off the people i think that is fair how about you. A Concern Citizen!!!!!!
As a DOD civillian chemical engineer,I have to say that a LOT of the posts thus far are ridiculous junk. When comparing the costs and efficiencies of working in the Gov’t laboratories, as opposed to even the “privatized” national labs, a substantially larger amount of value is provided in terms of the government engineers’ work, as compared to what is doable for the same amount of funding going to any contractor.
While I agree that the government paperwork game is inefficient, often $50 is wasted to save $5, and in some areas (contracting, the ability to purchase items and having to use the silly purchase card, etc.) there seems to be quite shotty service and inefficient procedures. But in terms of what gets done and the quality of same, the ability of engineering in government labs is second to none, compared to what the contractors are able to provide.
And, for highly educated, highly specialized positions such as engineers on a GS scale, we get paid well under what our peers do in the private sector. How is any of that fair or right? Provide more value for the tax dollars, and yet get compensated less and make out worse in the long run, money-wise? While it is patriotic that I am serving my country and helping to make our Military the finest in the world, I do not see that my bottom line is better off for it.