PUBLIC SECTOR
Public v private sector pay: the well-chosen average - part 3
“Pay levels in the public sector are probably not significantly out of line with those of similar workers in the private sector, once you take into account factors such as their age, education and qualifications.” That’s the conclusion of researchers from the Institute for Fiscal Studies in this year's IFS Green Budget looking at the Chancellor’s options in the forthcoming budget.
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However, these broad figures mask some “areas of divergence”, the IFS says. “In particular, there are gaps in favour of public sector workers in regions outside London and the South-East, which remains an area for reform in the long run.”
--> Nigel Stanley, the TUC’s Head of Campaigns and Communications, has cast his eye over the round-up of trends in public sector pay featured in the IFS Green Budget. Stanley’s article appears on the TUC’s “Touchstone” blog - an “informal blog by TUC staff about policy issues that are in the news, or ought to be”. To find out more visit www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/2010/02/ifs-have-important-data-on-public-sector-pay/.
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Title: Green Budget, Institute for Fiscal Studies, 3 February 2010.
Availability: Chapter 9 examines trends in public sector pay and pensions. Download it in PDF format at www.ifs.org.uk/publications/4732.
About the IFS: “Our goal at the Institute for Fiscal Studies is to promote effective economic and social policies by understanding better their impact on individuals, families, businesses and the government's finances. Our findings are based on rigorous analysis, detailed empirical evidence and in-depth institutional knowledge. We seek to communicate them effectively, to a wide range of audiences, thereby maximising their impact on policy both directly and by informing public debate.” To find out more visit www.ifs.org.uk.