Government wages in Idaho surpass private-sector levels

BOISE – Statistics kept by the state Department of Labor show government wages in Idaho passed private-sector wages in 2009.

The agency’s statistics show that the average monthly wage for government workers at the federal, state and local levels in Idaho was $3,167 a month in 2009, according to the Idaho Business Review.

The agency said that’s 7.2 percent above the monthly wage of private sector workers.

Bob Uhlenkott, an analyst for the state Department of Labor, said public sector wages typically rise above private sector wages during economic downturns.