FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Matt Dorsey
Phone: 202-550-6987
January 30, 2024
Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) praises the introduction of the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act of 2024. This legislation, introduced by Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) would provide a 7.4% pay increase for federal employees in 2025.
“Last year, federal employees again lost ground in the fight for a fair wage,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “Pay increases for 2024 were not enough to offset rising inflation and the widened federal-private pay deficit, which rose 5% in the last two years and is now over 27%, according to the most recent report from the Federal Salary Council.”
According to the Department of Labor, last year’s salaries for federal employees were severely lacking behind those in comparable positions in the private sector, as has been the case for decades. In fact, the public-private pay gap again grew last year, from a 24.1% difference in 2022 to 27.54% in 2023. Additionally, the 2023 OPM Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey concluded that over the last three years, satisfaction with wages declined from 67% to 57%. The lack of competitive pay for federal employees hurts recruitment and retention within the civil service.
“Congress must understand that to attract and retain a skilled workforce that best serves the American people, we need to pay our civil servants competitive wages,” continued Erwin. “The FAIR Act is a simple, yet effective tool to ensure all federal employees can earn a living wage and their communities receive the best essential services from the federal government. Thank you to Representative Connolly and Senator Schatz for their commitment to the civil service.”