Service + Solidarity Spotlight: AFGE Seeks 8.7% Raise for Federal Workers to Close Gap Between Public and Private Sector Workers

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

AFGE is seeking an 8.7% pay increase for federal workers in 2024. The raise is part of the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act recently re-introduced by Rep. Gerry Connolly (Va.) and Sen. Brian Schatz (Hawaii). AFGE applauded the legislation, which National President Everett Kelley said was needed to close the double-digit pay gap between federal employees and their private sector counterparts. 

“The latest report of the Federal Salary Council shows that federal worker pay lags behind the private sector by over 23%⁠—making it difficult for agencies to recruit, hire, and retain top talent and hurting the quality of services Americans receive,” Kelley said. “The 8.7% pay increase included in the FAIR Act will not only reward federal employees’ hard work and help them keep pace with inflation, but it will also help government agencies remain competitive and deliver high-quality services to the American public. We wholeheartedly endorse this bill.”