It’s pay raise time for troops, DOD civilians

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It’s pay raise time for troops, DOD civilians
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, December 30, 2008

WASHINGTON — Troops worldwide will receive a 3.9 percent pay raise starting on Thursday, but Defense Department civilian employees working overseas will see only a 2.9 percent bump in their paychecks.

Under rules outlined by the White House two weeks ago, all stateside civilian federal workers will receive a pay raise of at least 3.5 percent: a 2.9 percent basic pay raise plus at least another 0.7 percent locality pay raise.

Workers in 37 metropolitan areas will see an even greater increase, because of the high cost of living there and the large disparity between government and private sector wages.

For example, federal workers in Washington, D.C., will see an overall pay increase of nearly 4.8 percent. Those in the Oakland and San Francisco area will see a 4.3 percent pay increase.

Overseas federal employees do not receive any such locality pay adjustment, and will get only the 2.9 percent base pay increase next year. Other cost-of-living adjustments, housing allowances and specialty pays for overseas workers are handled separately.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59693