Michigan’s state and local government workers are the 13th highest paid in the nation, according to 2008 Census Data, (the most recent national data available). That’s down from 6th highest paid two years earlier.
Fringe benefits for government workers are under increasing scrutiny in Michigan. In terms of health care coverage costs, the clearest comparative data available, from the National Council of State Legislatures, indicate that as of fall 2009, the cost of family health care coverage for state government workers in Michigan was 24 percent higher than the average cost in for state government workers in all 50 states.
NATIONAL RANKING OF STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT PAY.
NATIONAL RANKING OF STATE EMPLOYEE HEALTH CARE COSTS.
One Comment
How can this group judge efficiency in gov’t pay to be average when by your own numbers if Michigan employees were paid the national average for state employee and benefits costs were at the national average for state employees the state of Michigan would save about $3 billion annually. This would balance the budget. Keep in mind Michigan is not a high cost of living state, in fact we now have average wages that rank about 33 out of 50 states. That number would be lower if state employee wages were not so high. Is the role of state government to serve the citizens of the state or to serve state employees? Currently, it is the latter.