Even Lady Gaga is getting into the act, using precious concert time to trash Trump (“holding Federal employees hostage”) & Pence (“worst example of Christianity”) … and to rep for the cash-strained furloughed government workers.
OK, I know that 80% of Americans don’t have $500 in reserve to cover unexpected expenses.
I understand that for part-time burger-flippers working for minimum wages with no benefits.
But, that’s not Federal government employees.
A 2017 CBO study revealed that, on average, civilian Federal government employees make civilian federal workers make 17 percent more in wages and benefits than similar workers in the private sector.
Before you say; “Yeah, but these pay-deferred government employees are disproportionately from the lower end of the payscale.”
Let’s look closer at the data…
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Specifically, note that among employees with HS educations or less, gov’t employees make about $50 per hour in wages and benefits … 67% more than the $30 per hour earned by comparable private sector employees.
Now, laser-focus on just wages…
An average gov’t employee with a HS education or less makes about $30 per hour in wages … 50% more than the $20 per hour earned by comparable private sector employees.
That $30 per hour average gov’t employee wage translates to more than $5,000 monthly … over $60,000 annually.
Math note: $30 x 52 weeks x 40 hours / week = $62,400 / 12 = $5,200
Can’t some of that $60,000 be put aside for rainy days (or government shutdowns).
Let’s cut that another way…
On average, these gov’t employees get $10 per hour more than comparable private sector employees … that translates to about $20,000 annually.
Bank half of that and they’re covered for 2 months of deferred pay.
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Maybe that’s why some folks don’t sympathize with the pay-deferred government employees.
So, what are you going to believe … a Lady Gaga rant or the CBO data?
I think that I’m going with the data.
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