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Washington D.C. – Federal employees would receive an average 3.5 percent pay raise in 2021 under legislation introduced in the House and Senate today and endorsed by the National Treasury Employees Union.

The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, sponsored by Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii in the Senate and by Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia in the House, would raise the standard of living for thousands of middle-class families across the country.

“Sen. Schatz and Rep. Connolly have been advocates, year in and year out, of helping our nation’s civil servants be able to pay their bills, invest in their children’s education and save for retirement,” said NTEU National President Tony Reardon. “Our members will be fully engaged in the effort to pass this bill into law and give federal employees the ability to keep doing what they love: serving the public.”

Federal employees on average earn 26.71 percent less than their counterparts in the private sector, according to a November report by the Federal Salary Council, a key metric in determining federal pay raises. A 3.5 percent pay increase in 2021 would help address this shortfall.

“Federal employees are honored to have in their corner Sen. Schatz, Rep. Connolly and all of the cosponsors of the FAIR Act, who understand that a modest pay raise would go a long way toward recruiting and retaining highly skilled professionals in the federal workforce,” Reardon said.

Since 1990, the Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act (FEPCA) has recognized the need to bring federal government salaries more in line with the private sector in order to compete for workers, and a 3.5 percent average increase in 2021 would help narrow the gap.

NTEU represents 150,000 employees at 33 federal agencies and departments.