Trump announces 2020 raise in fed, locality pay -- FederalSoup.com

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Trump announces 2020 raise in fed, locality pay

By Sherkiya Wedgeworth
Sep 11, 2019

President Trump has announced that he will reverse the planned pay freeze for federal employees, and instead will implement a 2.6 percent governmentwide pay increase.

“I have determined that it is appropriate to exercise my authority to set alternative across-the-board and locality pay adjustments for 2019…,” Trump wrote in an Aug. 30 letter to the Speaker of the House, adding, “As noted in my Budget for Fiscal Year 2020, our pay system must reform to align with mission-critical recruitment and retention goals, and to reward employees whose performance provides value for the American people.”

The announcement is a complete turnaround from the 2020 budget released in March, which proposed an across-the-board pay freeze for civilian employees and a 3.1 percent increase for military personnel.

In the letter, Trump contends that current law dictates that a 2.6 percent across-the-board increase for the base General Schedule is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2020, in addition to a 24 percent average increase in locality pay.

“In light of our nation’s fiscal situation, federal employee pay must be performance-based, and aligned strategically toward recruiting, retaining, and rewarding high-performing federal employees and those with critical skill sets,” he added.

Read the full announcement here.

Reader comments

Mon, Dec 2, 2019

Federal employees are paid less than the private sector for the same type of work. Average salary comparisons don't recognize that on govt facilities many non-professional employees such as security, food service, maintenance and janitorial are actually contractors that are private sector employees. This lowers the private sector avg and raises the govt avg. Avg private vs avg gov't isn't apples-to-apples unless it's within a given job description.

Mon, Dec 2, 2019

2.6 % is better than nothing but the truth is that I have 40 yrs in the civil service of this country and have given tons of time to Uncle Sam for which I never got paid at all in the spirit of getting things done for the souls that keeps us safe from the enemies of democracy. Truth be told being an engineer nad having been part of some of the most complex designs and acquisition known to man I am truly concerned that because of the limits that the politicians both Dem And Reps we are now trusting the design and acquisition and sustainment of the warfighters systems that keep us safe to extremely inexperienced although well intentioned and young individuals. The rate at which the experienced engineers are retiring is alarming and when all the grey beards are gone we will be left with a scary crew that has no one to mentor them. People think that the private sector can solve all our problems by themselves that is why in my career I have seen way to many systems that have problems because the contractor were given free reign to do what they pleased and made them the highest profit. Bottom line the Govies that we have and alot of the ones that we have lost are the ones doing their best to insure that those contractors that some politicians believe can do it all themselves produce a product that meets the warfightrers needs and can meet the mission toi keep us safe. you can ask a proffesional to work for less than they are worth or else what you will get is the bottom of the barrel and when it comes to the brave men and women that defend us nothing but top shelf is required.

Fri, Nov 22, 2019 Amy Portsmouth NH

I would like to think that we will get that 2.6, But if the Dems have there way he will be impeached!!! I think we should just let him do his JOB!! Obama didn't do anything for us the Government employees..

Thu, Nov 21, 2019

I am very thankful for this consideration. It will help make a dent in my anticipated cost increases in the coming year. For all the bellyaching FED workforce folks out there complaining about the adjustment, here is some unsolicited advice: It's a free country. If you don't like your job, QUIT!

Wed, Nov 13, 2019 Sam USA

Too little and too late. The fed now has well over 200,000 open positions they cannot fill because federal wages are far to low to attract Qualified workers with the skills required. The constant criticism and the demeaning remarks directed towards federal workers by Trump and other Republican politicians and their cohorts has also served to make many skilled and Qualified people not want to work for Uncle Sam.

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