Good News from the White House! Federal Workers Getting A 4.6% Pay Raise!
Good News from the White House! Federal Workers Getting A 4.6% Pay Raise!
The day finally came. Recently, President Joe Biden informed government workers about wage increases for the upcoming term.
Biden stated his intention to submit a total average increase of 4.6% for civilian government workers in a routine letter to the Congress, in line with projections in the 2023 budget.
This comprises a 4.1% baseline rise in pay overall and a 0.5% average wage rise per area. Biden’s rates will become official after an executive order is issued and will take effect on January 1 unless there is objection from the Congress.
According to Biden, “This alternative pay plan decision will allow the federal government to better compete in the labor market to attract and retain a well‑qualified federal workforce,”
An overall salary increases of 4.6% for civilian government workers was proposed in the government budget, mirroring the projected wage rise for the army. This proposal was made public by the White House in March. According to a recent article by Military Times, this amount would be the biggest national yearly boost for both soldiers and civilian employees in 20 years.
Ken Thomas, who is the national president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, stated in a quote to Federal Times that “as Americans face unprecedented price increases for food, fuel, housing and other staples, this pay raise demonstrates an understanding of the value of these hard-working civil servants and the jobs they do, as well as displays the administration’s commitment to recruitment and retention of talented federal employees.”
Unless the president suggests other federal salary levels, which he did this week shortly before Labor Day, public workers’ compensation is set at a level “equitable and comparable” with equivalent levels of work performed in the private sector.
The Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990 stipulates that locality wage must be adjusted annually and throughout the board. The Pay Agent, which consists of the secretary of labor and the heads of the White House Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management, has the right to override the regular rate set by the Pay Agent.
But what do the people feel about this pay rise?
Well, there have been some mixed reactions to this news about the White House wanting to increase the pay for government workers.
Some believe that an even bigger boost is necessary given the rising cost of living and the wages that are paid to workers of the private sector.
The president of the National Treasury Employees Union Tony Reardon stated in a comment, “We will continue to urge Congress and the administration to consider changing economic conditions and the 22% pay gap between federal employees and their private sector counterparts before making any final decisions on the 2023 federal pay increase.”
President Biden used this power to establish his preferred wage level and set a 2.7 percentage wage rise for all government employees the year before.
