'Scrutinizing public sector compensation at all levels of government is important'
Government employees in Quebec get 9.1 per cent higher wages, on average, than comparable workers in the private sector and they enjoy more generous non-wage benefits, too, finds a new study by the Fraser Institute.
Meanwhile, federal, provincial and municipal employees in Alberta take home 7.9 per cent more than comparable private-sector workers, according to a parallel study by the independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think tank.
“As the Quebec government looks to better control spending, and the federal government — which has a lot of employees in Quebec — struggles with deficits and mounting debt, scrutinizing public sector compensation at all levels of government is important,” said Charles Lammam, director of fiscal studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of the latest studies.
“(Additionally), compensation consumes a large chunk of any government’s annual program spending, and in the case of Alberta’s provincial government, which is struggling with persistent deficits and growing debt, closing the pay gap between public- and private-sector workers would help reduce spending without affecting services,” he said.
Government workers in both Quebec and Alberta also benefit from better pensions, early retirement, personal leave and job security, according to the studies.
The studies follow Fraser Institute research released regarding Ontario, last month.
