This chart looks at the distribution of wages across the private and public sectors by percentile. On the left hand side, we have the lowest paid ten percent along with their weekly salary. On the far right hand side, we have the highest 10 percent (denoted by the 90th percentile).
What does the chart tell us? It has a simple message; at every percentile except one, public sector workers are slightly better paid than their counterparts in the private sector. The only exception is the highest paid workers, where the private sector pays the highest rates.
A couple of warnings here. First, we aren't comparing similar occupations. The lower end of the public sector might cover highly trained graduates, whereas the private sector could include highly competent management trainees at McDonalds. Second, the private sector is signficantly larger and more heterogeneous than the public sector, despite New Labour's best efforts.
Still, the chart tells us something.
(data source: ONS)
3 comments:
Bung in their accruing pension rights and how does it look?
And I invite you to have a look at this Ros Altmann piece, revealing a well-hidden public sector pay subsidy that I'd never heard of before.
http://www.rosaltmann.com/hutton_press_release_contract_out_2aug10.htm
"The lower end of the public sector might cover highly trained graduates"
and
Dustmen for example.
I have family that do cleaning for a school, employed by the council.
There are plenty of those kind of jobs in the public sector as well.
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