Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) reintroduced legislation in the House and Senate last week that would provide federal employees with a 2025 pay raise of 7.4 percent .
The proposed pay adjustment for next year is a 4% base pay increase and a 3.4% increase for locality pay. The 2024 federal employee pay raise was an overall average of 5.2 percent.
SEE ALSO: 2025 Federal Pay Raise of 2% Proposed in White House Budget
“Our nation’s dedicated civil servants deserve respect and fair compensation,” said Congressman Connolly. “Federal employees served the American people diligently during an unprecedented global pandemic. Before that, they were subjected to the Trump Administration’s cruel personal attacks, unsafe work environments, pay freezes, government shutdowns, sequestration cuts, furloughs, and mindless across-the-board hiring freezes. Still, they come to work each day ready to serve with dedication and distinction. Federal employees are our government’s single greatest asset. The FAIR Act is a critical step toward recognizing their contributions and providing fair and just compensation.”
“Whether inspecting our food, conducting medical research, or caring for our veterans, federal workers play an important role in our everyday lives and deserve pay which reflects that,” said Senator Schatz. “After years of pay freezes, our bill gives these dedicated public servants a much-deserved raise.”
According to the Federal Salary Council, federal employees on average earned 27.54 percent less in 2023 than their counterparts in the private sector. In addition, the 2023 Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey government-wide management report found that over the last three years, pay satisfaction declined from 67 percent to 57 percent.
FAIR Act Supported by Federal Employee Groups
“Congressman Connolly and Senator Schatz propose a strong federal pay raise via the FAIR Act to counter a resilient labor market, steadily increasing private-sector pay, continued price increases, and the persistent gap between private-sector and federal pay for similar jobs. We’re grateful for their support for hardworking public servants, and ensuring federal pay rates approach levels needed to recruit and retain an effective federal workforce,” said William Shackelford, National President, National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE).
“AFGE wholeheartedly supports the FAIR Act and thanks Representative Connolly and Senator Schatz for its introduction,” said Everett Kelley, National President, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). “After more than two decades of lagging pay that has led to federal employees earning nearly 28% less than their private-sector counterparts, it is time to start making progress toward parity in federal pay. This bill takes a crucial first step in that direction.”
The FAIR Act is cosponsored in the House by the following Members of Congress: Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Val Hoyle (D-OR), Glenn Ivey (D-MD), Wiley Nickel (D-NC), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Don Beyer (D-VA), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Danny Davis (D-IL), Robert Garcia (D-CA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Shontel Brown (D-OH), Colin Allred (D-TX), Nanette Barragan (D-CA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Don Norcross (D-NJ), Bill Foster (D-IL), Bobby Scott (D-VA), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Joe Neguse (D-CO), David Trone (D-MD), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Diana Degette (D-CO), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Katie Porter (D-CA), Jennifer Wexton (D-VA), Bill Keating (D-MA), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Grace Meng (D-NY), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), and Maxine Waters (D-CA).
The full text of the FAIR Act is available here.