federal pay news stories on Newser

Starting Pay for Federal Workers Rises—a Lot

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:57:02 CST

It’s a good time to be an entry-level federal worker, according to a new USA Today analysis: Starting pay is much higher today than it was for the same positions in years past. For example, the average salary for a 20- to 24-year-old government auto mechanic was $46,427 this...

Congress Dished Out $6.1M in Staff Bonuses

Mark Russell — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 03:33:11 CDT

Even as the austerity-conscious House was threatening a government shutdown earlier this year, dozens of representatives were giving their staff $6.1 million in bonuses, reports CNN . The bonuses were hard to track down, and were generally hidden as "other compensation" in expense reports, with Republicans handing out $908,000,...

Union: Boycott Florida, Ohio, and Wisconsin

Kevin Spak — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:11:05 CDT

A Chicago-based federal employees union is urging its members to put off their vacations, stop going out to dinner, and otherwise tighten their belts in the face of a two-year pay freeze and Washington’s general newfound zeal for spending cuts. And it’s adding that if they are going to vacation,...

Why Obama Should Cut, Not Freeze, Federal Wages

Kevin Spak — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:56:27 CST

President Obama introduced a proposal to freeze federal salaries yesterday—or, as Annie Lowrey of Slate calls it, a “wishy-washy plan to hurt some workers without helping others.” Obama’s plan just underscores how much the conversation has shifted from our short-term employment crisis to our long-term deficit one. If Obama...

Number of Feds Making Six Figures Rises

Kevin Spak — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:46:23 CST

The number of federal employees making more than $100,000 a year has surged since the start of the recession, jumping from 14% a year and a half ago to 19% today. As salaries have increased, those making the most have gotten the biggest raises. When the recession began, for...