For many, the decision to enter the public or private sector can come down to the perks a company or agency's employee benefits administration provides.
In an effort to break down the differences between the two sectors in terms of compensation, the Congressional Research Service has released a report looking at the effects of education, age and experience on wages, the Washington Post reports.
For example, the study found federal workers to be older, with 55 percent between the ages of 45 and 64. This figure dropped to 43 percent for the private sector. The disparity was even larger when it came to education. 52 percent of public sector employees have at least a bachelor's degree, while only 34 percent of private workers have attained a similar level of education.
"Other things being equal, the higher educational attainment of public sector workers, especially workers with an advanced or professional degree, should result in higher pay for public sector workers compared to workers in the private sector," the report said, according to the Post.
Recently, public sector employee benefits has been a matter of concern not just for HR administration but state governments from Wisconsin to New Jersey as well.
