Missouri Public Employees: Paid Less, Better Educated
One more study is out now that explodes the myth that public employees make more than their counterparts in the private sector. A new Economic Policy Institute (EPI) study released this week finds that full-time state and local government employees in Missouri are undercompensated by 15.7 percent, when compared with similar private-sector workers.
Among the report’s key findings:
- Missouri public-sector workers are more highly educated than private-sector workers: 53 percent of full-time Missouri public-sector workers hold at least a four-year college degree, compared to 27 percent of full-time private-sector workers.
- College-educated public-sector workers earn considerably less than private-sector employees. On the other hand, the roughly 3 percent of public-sector workers without high school diplomas tend to earn more than their peers in the private sector because the public sector sets a floor on earnings.
- Missouri state and local governments and school districts pay college-educated workers, on average, 37 percent less than do private employers.
Read the full EPI report here.
Public Employees Paid Less than Private-Sector Workers
With the barrage of orchestrated extremist attacks on public employees, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) reminds us today of a study it commissioned last year that disproves one of the biggest lies by anti-workers–that public employee make excessive pay. In short, public employees are paid less than private-sector workers, even when factoring in employer-provided benefits.
The paper by Rutgers University professor Jeffrey Keefe found:
Private-sector workers earned average annual wages of $55,132, $6,061 greater than the $49,072 earned by public-sector workers. When looking at total compensation including employer-provided benefits, this gap narrowed but the private-sector workers still earned $2,001 more per year than public sector workers ($71,109 in total compensation, versus $69,108). This gap was especially large among more educated workers. College-educated workers on averages earned $22,966 less in total compensation.
Read the full report here.
September Jobless Rate: Even Worse Than It Looks
September’s jobs numbers are worse than we thought even a few hours ago. After a couple of months of encouraging news, the latest report took a decided turn for the worse.
The basic data show that the nation lost 263,000 jobs in September, after falling 463,000 in June, 304,000 in July and 201,000 in August. The official unemployment rate now is 9.8 percent, a figure exceeded in awfulness only by the unofficial jobless rate: 17 percent.
In fact, the number of unemployed rose “only” by 214,000 because 571,000 people abandoned the labor market.
STEELING a Union’s ID
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has been called a lot of names. Here’s another one for him: cheater.
It’s not surprising Steele and the Republicans are embarrassed about their party. But Steele has hit a new low (insert Munch’s “Scream” here): He’s set up an RNC fundraising page on Facebook made to look like it’s the United Steelworkers union.
The “United STEELE Workers Union” page even features a hard hat with an American flag sticker front and center.
Just curious, Michael: Doesn’t a white hard hat clash with your designer suits?
