More on Public vs. Private Pay

The Center for American Progress is entering the debate on whether federal pay is higher than private sector pay. In a blog post on Tuesday, CAP's Lauren Smith argues that comparisons made by USA Today and the Libertarian CATO Institute are really comparing apples to oranges, in part because federal workers are more educated and experienced. In addition, the federal workforce has changed during the past 30 years, Smith argues, and now holds a lesser percentage of blue-collar jobs and an increase in more specialized positions, such as those in health and IT.

Smith calls for the American public and policymakers to welcome a serious discussion about the federal workforce, including potential reforms. In March, Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry announced that OPM had appointed a task force to take up the issue. "But good benefits and better job security in the federal workforce are valuable components of compensation packages and should be duly considered when comparing the relative rewards of public versus private employment," Smith writes.