Public-sector workers at all tiers of government in B.C. out-earned their private-sector counterparts by an average of 13.6% in 2011, according to a Fraser Institute report released this morning.

The report further found that public-sector workers enjoy more generous non-wage benefits, including pensions, early retirement and job security.

The report found that 89.4% of B.C.'s public-sector workers were covered by a registered pension plan in 2011 compared with 19.4% of private-sector workers. It further found that, of workers with pension plans, 95.6% of government workers had defined-benefit pensions versus 49.3% of private-sector workers.

On the early retirement front, the Fraser Institute found that B.C.'s government workers retired, on average, 2.8 years earlier than private-sector workers, between 2007 and 2011.

Finally, the report found that in 2011, only 0.6% of public-sector workers lost their jobs, compared with 4.3% of their private-sector counterparts.

"As the B.C. government struggles with deficits and finding ways to constrain spending, public-sector compensation is one area that should be closely scrutinized," said Jason Clemens, Fraser Institute executive vice-president and co-author of the report, Comparing Public and Private Sector Compensation in British Columbia.

"The fact is government workers in B.C. enjoy a wage premium over their private-sector counterparts."

Republished from Business in Vancouver

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