Fact: Most federal workers hold white-collar professional, administrative and technical jobs that require a higher level of education than most private-sector jobs. About 20% of federal workers have a master’s degree, professional degree or doctorate, compared to just 13% in the private sector, according to Census Bureau data. More than half of all federal workers have at least a college degree, compared to 35 percent of private-sector employees.
The Lie: Contracting out federal work saves money
Fact: Federal contractors earn far more than the federal employees whose jobs they have taken over. There are 2.1 million federal workers but at least 17 million private-sector contractors, who can earn 450% more than the highest-paid federal worker.
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The Lie: The federal work force is bigger than ever
Fact: The federal government employed 2.1 million Executive Branch workers as of September 2010, slightly less than the number on board 40 years ago when Richard Nixon was president. The size of the federal work force has steadily declined, relative to the American population that federal workers serve. In 1953, there was one federal worker for every 78 U.S. residents; by 2008, there was one federal employee for every 155 residents.
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The Lie: Freezing federal pay helps balance the budget
Fact: The savings from freezing federal employees’ wages for the next two years amounts to less than one-half of one percent of one year’s federal deficit – and that’s using the Obama administration’s own inflated figures, which assumed far larger raises than employees were likely to receive.
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The Lie: Federal workers are overpaid
Fact: Private-sector employees earn 24% more than federal employees performing comparable jobs, according to objective salary surveys by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some of the largest pay gaps are in large metropolitan areas where most federal employees work, including 36% in Washington, D.C., and 26% in New York City.
The Lie: Federal workers can’t be fired.
The Fact: In fiscal 2009, 11,275 federal employees were fired for poor performance or misconduct, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. In addition, many more employees voluntarily leave after they are counseled that their performance is unacceptable, according to a survey of federal managers by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.
Welcome to the AFGE Truth Squad
Federal workers are under attack. Lawmakers looking to score points with voters are trying to scapegoat federal employees by going after our wages, our benefits and even our jobs.
But we know the real truth: Federal workers didn’t cause the nation’s economic woes. In fact, we can help solve these problems. After all, we took an oath to protect, serve and keep Americans safe.
So as others serve up baseless attacks, we will be serving up the truth. For every lie that is spread about federal employees, you can count on the AFGE Truth Squad to set the facts straight.
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Inside Government
