darin
12-21-2009, 09:24 AM
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.
he 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.
more:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-12-10-federal-pay-salaries_N.htm
BUT - NOT so FAST....
Groups claim data on federal employees' salaries is misleading
Federal employee groups on Monday questioned the accuracy of a recent news report that claimed from 2007 to 2009 the number of government workers earning more than $100,000 per year spiked.
Based on an analysis of federal data, a Dec. 10 USA Today story, said the number of federal workers earning more than $100,000 per year rose from 14 percent in December 2007 to 19 percent in June 2009. The article attributed several workforce trends, including the easing of federal pay caps, higher salaries at the Pentagon because of its pay-for-performance system and generous annual raises from Congress.
According to federal workforce advocates, the numbers are misleading. "The data presented by USA Today is incomplete in many ways," Jessica Klement, legislative director for the Federal Managers Association, wrote in an e-mail. She said the data did not indicate how or why federal employees earned those salaries, and taken in context, the figures aren't as alarming as they seem at first glance.
"Overall, according to the data, more than 75 percent of federal employees make less than $100,000," said Klement. "This is hardly cause for concern."
The information is from the Office of Personnel Management's FedScope, an online database of federal employment data.
"Numbers like this, taken on their face, without any knowledge of the kind of skills and capabilities that these employees represent, can be very easy [to use] to enrage people," said Carol Bonosaro, president of the Senior Executives Association, which represents many executives earning more than $100,000 per year.
John Palguta, vice president of policy of the Partnership for Public Service, said the figures could be attributed to increased hires at the Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs departments. Because of the tasks some of those employees perform -- including medical and sophisticated technology work -- they earn higher salaries than the general population.
More:
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44246&dcn=e_wfw
I report, you decide.
Here's the opinion portion:
As a Fed, I see plenty of waste in the system. Most of the waste I observe isn't salary-related. It's position-related. Redundancies in personnel and processes. Of course, the Feds are taking serious looks at what we're spending through programs like Lean/Six Sigma. Reducing Government control/input in our lives should be the goal of every elected official.
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.
he 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.
more:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-12-10-federal-pay-salaries_N.htm
BUT - NOT so FAST....
Groups claim data on federal employees' salaries is misleading
Federal employee groups on Monday questioned the accuracy of a recent news report that claimed from 2007 to 2009 the number of government workers earning more than $100,000 per year spiked.
Based on an analysis of federal data, a Dec. 10 USA Today story, said the number of federal workers earning more than $100,000 per year rose from 14 percent in December 2007 to 19 percent in June 2009. The article attributed several workforce trends, including the easing of federal pay caps, higher salaries at the Pentagon because of its pay-for-performance system and generous annual raises from Congress.
According to federal workforce advocates, the numbers are misleading. "The data presented by USA Today is incomplete in many ways," Jessica Klement, legislative director for the Federal Managers Association, wrote in an e-mail. She said the data did not indicate how or why federal employees earned those salaries, and taken in context, the figures aren't as alarming as they seem at first glance.
"Overall, according to the data, more than 75 percent of federal employees make less than $100,000," said Klement. "This is hardly cause for concern."
The information is from the Office of Personnel Management's FedScope, an online database of federal employment data.
"Numbers like this, taken on their face, without any knowledge of the kind of skills and capabilities that these employees represent, can be very easy [to use] to enrage people," said Carol Bonosaro, president of the Senior Executives Association, which represents many executives earning more than $100,000 per year.
John Palguta, vice president of policy of the Partnership for Public Service, said the figures could be attributed to increased hires at the Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs departments. Because of the tasks some of those employees perform -- including medical and sophisticated technology work -- they earn higher salaries than the general population.
More:
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44246&dcn=e_wfw
I report, you decide.
Here's the opinion portion:
As a Fed, I see plenty of waste in the system. Most of the waste I observe isn't salary-related. It's position-related. Redundancies in personnel and processes. Of course, the Feds are taking serious looks at what we're spending through programs like Lean/Six Sigma. Reducing Government control/input in our lives should be the goal of every elected official.