16 April 2014

2014- n° 90

Decrease in average net wages in real terms in the civil service between 2011 and 2012 Wages in the public - 2012

In the State civil service (SCS), which includes ministries and public institutions, the nominal average net wage in full-time unit (FTU) rose by 1.1 % between 2011 and 2012. The average net wage decreased by 0.8 % in real terms. On average, it amounted to 2 460 euros per month in 2012.

In the local civil service (LCS), nominal net wages increased by + 1.4% while real wages decreased by 0.5 % between 2011 and 2012. The average net wage in FTU reached 1 850 euros per month in 2012.

In the hospital public sector (HPS), the nominal average net wage increased by 1.3 % between 2011 and 2012. The real average net wage fell by 0.6 %. This average net wage in FTU amounted to 2 240 euros per month in 2012.

In 2012, the growth of net wages is lower than the growth of gross wages, which relates in particular to the rise of social contributions (CSG, CRDS as well as civil pension contribution for permanent employees)

Wage level differences among the three civil services can mainly be explained by different structures in terms of statutory category, sex and age. Thereby nearly six out of ten state civil servants belong to category A, while only three out of ten agents are in this case in the HPS and only one out of ten in the LCS. On the contrary, three quarters of the local civil servants and half of the hospital civil servants belong to category C.

The average remuneration of people in place (ARPP) is a wage notion which measures the average wage change for employees present from one year to another. Here are retained the agents who are present for two full and consecutive years with the same employer and with the same work quotity. Once labor force movements (entries into the civil service, departures, changes of employer) and changes in work quotity are taken into account, two thirds of the civil servants are in this situation.

In the State civil service, the nominal net ARPP increased by 1.9 % and the real net ARPP hardly changed at all.

In the local civil service, the nominal net ARPP rose by 2.4 % and the real net ARPP increased by 0.4 %.

In the hospital public sector, the nominal net ARPP went up by 1.8 %, which implies a fall by 0.1 % in real terms.

In 2012, the diminution of compensated overtime work declared by employers might explain the evolution of the ARPP change.