Report: Many Claims False About Worker Pay, Benefits

[cyberswede]

This is important, especially given Terry's allegation that public workers make too much money (except himself, of course).

Report: Many Claims False About Worker Pay, Benefits

Posted February 22, 2011

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Many claims about public workers' compensation miss the mark on accuracy because they don't make apples-to-apples comparisons, according to a new report that reveals an "earnings penalty" for state and local government workers.

"Iowa faces a number of fiscal challenges in the months and years ahead," said Andrew Cannon, research associate at the nonpartisan Iowa Policy Project and author of a new report. "But none of these challenges result from excessive public employee compensation.

"Public employees in Iowa in general receive less compensation in total pay and benefits than do similarly qualified employees in the private sector. They really see an earnings penalty for working in the public sector, given education, experience and other factors."

Cannon's paper, "Apples to Apples: Private-Sector and Public-Sector Compensation in Iowa," examines wage and benefit research controlling for education, work experience, hours worked and other factors. He found, comparing compensation including wages/salary and benefits:
• Male public-sector workers earn nearly 8 percent less and female public-sector workers 11 percent less than private-sector workers;
• Male state-government workers earn 6 percent less than comparable workers in private industry, and women 8 percent less; and
• The penalty for local government workers: 9 percent for men, nearly 13 percent for women.

More at link: http://www.iowapolicyproject.org/110222-pubpvtpay-release.html

Also, an executive summary: http://www.iowapolicyproject.org/110222-pubpvtpayxs.html

And the complete report: http://www.iowapolicyproject.org/2011docs/110222-pubpvtpay.pdf

[HuskiesHowls]

1. I've heard this report for a couple days, now, on Iowa Public Radio!!

Its not just a quick report...its usually about 5 minutes long and they make a big deal about how state employees are underpaid.

Good for them!!