Big bonus for States workers

Thursday 21 August 2014

The average States worker took home £13,520 per year more than the average worker in the private sector, according to figures out yesterday.

The Average Earnings Index showed that full-time public sector workers earned on average £900 per week (£46,800 per year) compared to an average of £640 per week in the private sector (£33,280 per year).

Acting-Chief Minister Ian Le Marquand said that the difference between the public and private sector figures was mostly down to the fact that Jersey effectively has to run a small national government as well as a local one – so we need to employ senior judges, international relations experts and senior doctors and consultants.

Those big earners, he said, skewed the figures.

“We are a national government as well as being a local government and that means that we need some very highly-paid people,” he said.

“That means people the Bailiff and the Chief Executive of the States [John Richardson] but also medical doctors and consultants, and lawyers for the public sector – that inevitably pushes up the average.”

Senator Le Marquand – who is stepping down from office at the October elections after six years in the States – added that he expected if the shifts in public sector pay patterns were analysed, they would demonstrate that there were fewer administration posts than there had been in the past.

The full range of average pay by sector in the Average Earnings Index was:

-       Financial services - £1,050 (including bonus) per week or £54,600 per year.

-       Public sector - £900 per week or £46,800 per year.

-       Electricity, Gas and Water - £820 per week or £42,640 per year.

-       Transport, Storage and Communication - £750 per week or £39,000 per year.

-       Construction - £650 per week or £33,800 per year.

-       Manufacturing - £600 per week or £31,200 per year.

-       Other business activities - £550 per week or £28,600 per year.

-       Agriculture - £480 per week or £24,960 per year.

-       Wholesale and retail - £470 per week or £24,440 per year.

-       Hotels, Restaurants and Bars - £380 per week or £19,760 per year.