short video on government employees

[Dave Schwartz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=xOAgT8L_BqQ&feature=player_embedded

[NJ Stinks]

If I heard this guy right, the number of federal employers increased 15% from 1999 to 2009. Not true. The increase was just over 7%.

1999 - 4.1M
2009 - 4.4M

http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/data-analysis-documentation/federal-employment-reports/historical-tables/total-government-employment-since-1962/

Meanwhile, the population in the U.S. increased from 281M in 2000 to 297M in 2010 - a 5.5% increase.

http://www.populstat.info/Americas/usac.htm

Perhaps the war on terror - including the newly-created Dept. of Homeland Security - legitimately explained the 7% increase. Certainly, our military fighting on two fronts was a factor.

[Dave Schwartz]

How do you explain the increase in high income wage earners?

Or are those figures questionable as well?

[Tom]

Certainly, our military fighting on two fronts was a factor.

Both are over - time to lay them off. Right? :lol:

[NJ Stinks]

How do you explain the increase in high income wage earners?

Or are those figures questionable as well?

Well, Dave, it's like this. If you want top-notch lawyers in the U.S. Attorneys Offices around the country, you have to pay for it. Same goes for scientists and doctors.

I did find this:

The highest-paid federal employees are doing best of all on salary increases. Defense Department civilian employees earning $150,000 or more increased from 1,868 in December 2007 to 10,100 in June 2009, the most recent figure available.

And here's something else that may be of interest to you:

Who's Paid The Most In Government - New Service Lists Top 1000

Link:
http://gov.aol.com/2011/12/16/whos-paid-the-most-in-government-new-service-lists-top-1000/

[Actor]

How do you explain the increase in high income wage earners?

Or are those figures questionable as well?Inflation. The video says that when the recession started the Dept of Transportation had 1 employee making more than $170,000. Suppose it had 690 people making $165,000 and 1000 making $160,000. Now if the government raised salaries by 2% per year for five years then the 690 employees would be making $181,000 per year and the 1000 would be making $176,000. That alone would explain the increase in employees making more than $170,000 per year, without hiring more employees and with existing employees just keeping up with inflation.

Of course I used made up numbers to explain the principle. The video gave no information as to the real numbers.

If the DOT had 1 employee making more than $170,000 in 2008, then the real question is how many employees are making

(1 + R[2008])*(1 + R[2009])*(1 + R[2010])*(1 + R[2011])*(1 + R[2012])*170,000

in 2013. R[i] is the rate of inflation for the year i. By law federal employees cannot receive cost of living increases greater than inflation. The video is using scare tactics on what is, unfortunately, an innumerate population.

[hcap]

http://www.hamiltonproject.org/papers/a_record_decline_in_government_jobs_implications_f or_todays_economy_an/

http://www.hamiltonproject.org/images/uploads/thp_image_uploads/charts/0803_govt_ratio_chart1.jpg


http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/01/07/private_recovery_and_public_slump.html

http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/moneybox/2013/01/07/private_recovery_and_public_slump/1357568873371.png.CROP.rectangle3-large.png