American State Jobs

Fewer Mass Layoffs, Government Hiring Bright Spot

In February 2009* alone, employers made 2,769 mass layoffs compared with 1,672 mass layoffs in the same month last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each layoff involved at least 50 people from a single employer filing for unemployment insurance. Since December 2007, when the recession was declared to have started, there have been 28,481 mass layoffs, and more than 2.9 million people have filed for unemployment benefits during that time. The economic stimulus package being deployed will lead to a big increase in state and local government jobs. Government jobs total compensation compares favorably with those in private industry.  The average hourly pay for a government employee is 35 percent higher than the average wage of a private sector worker.  The average spent on a government employee’s benefits package per hour is 69 percent higher than the average cost of a private sector workers’ benefit package.  The average cost per hour for government worker’s health benefits is over 200 percent more than what is paid for a private sector worker’s health benefits.  A government worker’s average retirement benefit per hour is over 300 percent higher than the hourly cost of a private sector worker’s retirement benefit.