| With rising U.S. government deficit spending and | | | | in his/her annual budget for the next government |
| high unemployment in the private sector this year, | | | | fiscal year. This usually happens in January or |
| there has been a lot of news coverage on why | | | | February. |
| U.S. federal government employees should get a | | | | 2. Both chambers of the U.S. legislative branch -- |
| pay raise. | | | | the House and Senate -- then deliberate in various |
| Specifically, there have been a lot of questions of | | | | committees what the increase will be. This usually |
| how the U.S. government determines annual pay | | | | takes several months. |
| raises for its civilian workforce. | | | | 3. Once the House and Senate agree on a |
| The process is quite complicated, but it involves | | | | specified percentage increase for paying civilian |
| both chambers in the legislative branch of the U.S. | | | | U.S. government employees, they send it to the |
| government -- House and Senate -- as well as | | | | president for authorization. |
| the president in the executive branch. | | | | 4. If the president agrees, he/she approves it, |
| Firstly, the pay increase discussed here is not a | | | | and the pay increase is implemented by the |
| "merit" pay raise, but rather a cost-of-living | | | | Office of Personnel Management (the human |
| increase that is determined annually for U.S. | | | | resources office for government employees) for |
| government employees. | | | | what is called the General Schedule Pay Scale (or |
| The process of determining the increase follows | | | | GS Pay Scale ). |
| this basic process: | | | | Normally this lengthy process starts in February |
| 1. The president usually recommends an increase | | | | of each year, and ends in December. |