Look at Foreign Salary Distribution: Swedish Civil Servants' Wages Are Not as High as Workers'

The issue of civil servants' pay is very complicated. It is not only related to the country's economic situation, but also involves everyone's vital interests and directly affects social stability and unity. The establishment of a scientific and standardized civil servant salary system suitable for the characteristics of our country plays an important role in the balance of regional development, the rational flow of talents, the deepening of clean government construction, the construction of a harmonious society, the construction of a clean, efficient, stable and credible civil servant team, and the improvement of public service quality and social management level. So, how about the salaries of foreign civil servants? What is the reference for improving the salary and welfare system of civil servants in China?

United States

American civil servants are divided into federal government civil servants and local government civil servants. Annual salary adjustment is a major feature of American civil servants' salaries. The "Civil Service Reform Act" of the United States stipulates: "The Office of Personnel Management, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Department of Labor shall conduct an in-depth survey of the wage levels of private enterprises throughout the country every year, and compare the results of the survey with the wage levels of civil servants, and accordingly make proposals to Congress and the President to adjust the wages of civil servants. With the approval of Congress, the President shall issue an executive order for implementation. So as to ensure that the salaries of middle and low-level civil servants are roughly the same as those of employees of private enterprises in the same area. In addition to the normal increase of seniority, the salary of American civil servants also changes according to the inflation coefficient. Regions with different economic levels have "regional standards". The income of federal civil servants stationed in different places can fluctuate on the basis of the annual salary given. The more developed the economy is, the higher the annual salary of civil servants is. In addition, the welfare of civil servants is also varied. For example, medical insurance, pension, housing subsidies, etc. Can be converted according to the years of work in government departments, accident insurance, life insurance, pre-tax payment of medical expenses, and even business trips, vacation hotels, civil servants also have special preferences.

The United States is a federal country, and the division of administrative and financial powers among the federal, state, county, and municipal governments is relatively clear. The salaries of federal civil servants are paid by a special federal salary account, while the salaries of state, county and municipal civil servants are borne by the government at the corresponding level. In wealthy places, government taxes are high, and civil servants' incomes are certainly high. On the contrary, the financial affordability of poorer areas is poor, and the income of civil servants is also low. For example, as a prosecutor, the California Attorney General's annual salary is $175000, which is higher than federal Attorney General's salary of $143000. In 2006, the average annual salary of federal civil servants in the United States was about $61000, roughly 1.5 times the national per capita income. According to the economic level of the United States, civil servants can be regarded as "high salaries", and can afford to buy a house, pension insurance and medical insurance, it is really "carefree". For state, county and city election officials, their income is much higher than that of affairs officials. It is reasonable to say that "maintaining honesty" should be no problem, but it is precisely these high-ranking officials who have the most scandals. The reason is that officials at this level are not as highly exposed as presidents and ministers, and their every move is in full view of the public, and there are certain "dictatorial" powers that are not restricted. Former New Jersey Governor McGreevey, who was once regarded as "Clinton's successor" and "the rising star of the Democratic Party," engaged in nepotism and corruption when he was in office. He secretly gave his Israeli homosexual lover the position of "anti-terrorism adviser" with an annual salary of $110,000. It was only after more than a year that he was exposed. The scandal of collusion between some mayors and real estate developers is exposed almost every year. High salary is difficult to guarantee honesty, and the restriction and supervision of power is the sharp weapon of anti-corruption and corruption prevention.

Japan

The scope of Japanese civil servants is relatively extensive. Cadres and workers of government organs, and public officials of national science, education, health and other units are all included in civil servants. Japanese civil servants are divided into national civil servants and local civil servants, whose salary, insurance and welfare systems are basically the same, but the salary level is slightly different. Influenced by cultural concepts, institutional arrangements and behavioral patterns, the salary of Japanese civil servants is close to that of employees in private enterprises. If the difference is too great, the Personnel Authority will advise civil servants to reduce their salaries. Due to the economic downturn in Japan in recent years, the income of employees in enterprises has decreased, and the salaries of Japanese civil servants have been cut several times. Japanese civil servants have different incomes because of different regions, and the economically developed areas are relatively higher. If the average salary index of civil servants is set at 100, it was 103 in Tokyo in 2005, and only 92.8 in the economically backward Shimane Prefecture. Whether in the government or in private enterprises, when the position is high, the income is naturally "rising with the tide", so the Japanese are desperate when competing for higher-level positions, and there is also a phenomenon of mutual sabotage. Once they fail in the competition, they will be willing to accept the leadership of others and do their work well as before, because it is also good to keep their current position.

Japan's rules and regulations are relatively sound and perfect, civic awareness and the rule of law environment are better, civil servants in addition to salary income, there is little room for personal gain. In Japan, civil servants generally do not have personnel power, and every person has to pass a strict examination, so it is difficult to arrange relatives in important departments through their own power. Civil servants do not hold financial power, every sum of funds must be budgeted in advance, the use of funds must be strictly audited, as long as it does not comply with the regulations, it is easy to be audited out. Once the procuratorial organs intervene, no one can intercede, because interceding itself is also illegal. Civil servants have no other privileges, and doing things well is taken for granted. If something can be done according to the rules, they will go all out to do it well. If the regulations do not work, they have a good attitude, but no matter what they say, they dare not do it, because if something goes wrong, they will be punished. Japan's Civil Servant Ethics Law stipulates that civil servants take national taxes and should treat every citizen they serve objectively and fairly from the standpoint of the state, and that it is no longer suitable to serve as civil servants to seek improper benefits for others. A policeman once found that the person who was fined for random parking was his friend and did not collect the corresponding fine, so he was fired. Japan's Personnel Agency has very clear and specific provisions on the punishment of civil servants who violate regulations, and many civil servants are indeed punished every year.

EU

The high salary of EU civil servants is known as the "golden bowl", which is divided into three parts: basic salary, family allowance and allowance. The basic salary is determined according to the four grades A, B, C and D from high to low and the different grades in each grade. At the end of the year, EU institutions will also pay a certain amount of bonuses according to their financial situation, which depends entirely on the performance and performance of civil servants in peacetime. In addition to the basic salary and year-end bonus, EU civil servants also enjoy three family allowances, including family allowance, child-raising allowance and child schooling allowance. In addition, EU civil servants enjoy a wide range of welfare benefits. As soon as they start working, they will receive a "settlement" fee equivalent to two months'basic salary, and EU civil servants who do not work in their own country will receive a monthly "home leave allowance" equivalent to 16% of their salary; In addition to public holidays, sick leave, marriage leave, maternity leave and so on, EU civil servants can also enjoy 24 days and 30 days of vacation every year, during which the whole family can receive a sufficient subsidy for vacation expenses. The above income does not need to be taxed to the member States, but a certain proportion of the "EU tax" should be paid. All of this tax revenue will be used as an "insurance fund" for EU civil servants, which will eventually be returned to each civil servant. Civil servants enjoy such high treatment, which is enough to make the outside world "jealous". The EU explained that high salaries were needed to attract and retain senior talent. It is precisely because of a high-quality team, the European integration process has gone through 50 years, the EU institutions have maintained a relatively high efficiency and clean and honest image, rarely using departmental power to produce "income differences" between different civil servants, and "group" cases of collective corruption and bribery in government departments are also very rare.

EU civil servants are well paid, but that does not mean they are superior. Compared with international institutions such as the United Nations, the privileges of EU civil servants are not really much. In the European Union, only a few senior civil servants can enjoy official vehicles. The European Commission, the largest of the three EU institutions, currently has only 130 official vehicles. The phenomenon of eating and drinking is almost non-existent in EU institutions, and activities such as hospitality and banquets are subject to very strict budget management. Although EU civil servants can get a certain amount of lump sum for meals and accommodation according to the actual expenses provided, the maximum amount is also stipulated, and the specific standards are formulated by the EU. The European Union has a system that prohibits the acceptance of gifts. Civil servants are not allowed to accept honorary titles, awards and various forms of gifts from any country or institution, nor are they allowed to engage in second jobs.

Russia

Russian civil servants are generally not well paid. According to the latest statistics released by the Russian National Bureau of Statistics, the average monthly salary of Russian civil servants is close to 11000 rubles, slightly higher than average monthly salary of 8244 rubles for ordinary people. But this figure is not recognized by most ordinary Russians, who believe that civil servants have "gray income" and can get a large amount of bonuses every month according to their performance appraisal results. What needs to be specially explained is that Russia advocates high salaries for honesty and severe punishment. President Putin holds an appreciative attitude toward "high salaries for honesty." He believes that in addition to using the "National Civil Service Code" to regulate and restrict the behavior of civil servants, if the salaries of civil servants can meet their normal needs, the possibility of accepting bribes will be reduced. That is to say, the combination of imposing heavy penalties on the misconduct of government employees and improving their salaries and incomes will become a new measure taken by the Russian government in the construction of the civil service in the near future.

The Russian government has substantially raised the salaries of civil servants since 2004 under the management concept of high salaries for honesty and severe punishment. At present, Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual salary is $61,833, the Russian Prime Minister's annual salary is $49,466, the Deputy Prime Minister's annual salary is $40,190, and the annual salary of senior ministerial officials is $37,100. The wages of ordinary government employees have also been raised by a large margin on the original basis. In addition to salary income, Russian government employees can also receive a large number of performance appraisal bonuses on a monthly basis. According to the relevant plan, the Russian government is brewing a new wage increase plan, and it is expected that the income of civil servants will rise substantially.

India

Indian civil servants are different from "government workers" in the general sense. They refer to those who pass the "All India Civil Service" examination and are eventually formally recruited by the central government (a few will be assigned to state governments). A large number of low-level officials and clerks in the government do not belong to the civil service, and the channels of recruitment examination are different. At present, India's per capita annual income is about $460, but the average annual income of civil servants is as high as $7000. The monthly basic salary of ordinary civil servants is about $581, and there are many kinds of allowances and subsidies, such as transportation subsidies, children's eugenic fees, food subsidies, communication fees, subsidies for poverty-stricken areas or grass-roots units, etc. These allowances and subsidies are not only numerous but also astonishing in quantity. In addition, Indian civil servants also enjoy other enviable benefits, such as one month's paid leave, 20 days of medical leave, 20 days of half-paid leave and so on. Excluding various holidays and statutory rest days, Indian civil servants actually work about 160 days a year.

Indian civil servant is a career that people with high income, high status and high salary yearn for. Although the income is high, it seldom causes social discontent, and the public seldom expresses different opinions on the increase of civil servant's income. In the eyes of ordinary Indians, civil servants are recognized as social elites, and once employed as government civil servants, it means stepping into the upper class of India. However, the number of civil servants in India is very small, just over 6600, which seems incredible beyond our imagination. The Indian civil service system is basically a copy of the British "civil service system". Civil servants are middle and senior officials with certain decision-making power, that is, senior civil servants, police officers and diplomats. India does not allow civil servants to participate in political party activities, and although civil servants are in charge of the country's administrative system, they always stay out of party disputes. Over the past 20 years, India's government rotation has been as frequent as a merry-go-round, while civil servants are still "standing still", which has played an important role in maintaining the smooth operation of society.

Sweden

In 2008, the average monthly wage in Sweden was RMB 29100, with a maximum wage of RMB 35200 and a minimum wage of RMB 22000 (the currency amount has been converted into RMB).

The average monthly wage of each industry from high to low is: scientific research 30400 yuan, real estate 30400 yuan, education 30300 yuan (basic education 24400 yuan, higher education 30500 yuan), construction industry 29400 yuan, government agencies and military and police 28900 yuan. The 27100 of finance and insurance is RMB, the 26300 of management and service is RMB, the 26100 of culture and entertainment is RMB and the 25200 of medical care is RMB.

According to the occupation, the average monthly wages from high to low are: the 48200 of state-owned enterprise executives, the 38900 of judges, the 34900 of other judicial officials, the 32700 of doctors, the 32600 of business personnel, the 32300 of university professors, and the 32200 of government civil servants. Military 32000, accounting 31500, programmer 31100, writer journalist 30600, clerk 29900, engineering technician 28800, teacher 28800 other than university professor, police officer and detective 28300, customs officer 27100, librarian and other information officer 26700, etc. The 26200 of railway construction workers is RMB, the 25400 of general judicial personnel is RMB, the 25300 of social service personnel is RMB, the 24800 of chemical and physical technicians is RMB, the 24400 of employment service personnel is RMB, the 23700 of government public service personnel (such as park managers) is RMB, the 23600 of government tax officers is RMB, and the 23400 of statisticians is RMB. The 23300 of social service assistants is RMB, the 21700 of judicial assistants is RMB, the 21400 of prison guards is RMB, the 20500 of doormen is RMB, and the 18600 of indoor cleaners is RMB.

According to the age group, the monthly wage of the minimum age group of 18-24 years old is 22000 yuan, and that of the age group of 60-64 years old is 32000 yuan. Junior high school graduates are 23000 yuan, university graduates are 27600 yuan, and graduate students are 35050 yuan.

Eighty percent of regions in Sweden have monthly wages between 27000 and 29999 yuan, with 12% below 26999 yuan and 8% above 30000 yuan.

From the above data, we can see that the wages of Swedish civil servants are not as high as those of construction workers; there is little difference among different industries in Sweden, and the wages of scientific researchers who receive the highest wages are 20% higher than those of health care workers who receive the lowest wages; In Sweden, there is little difference in the salary of the rank, and the salary of the boss of the state-owned enterprise is 135% higher than that of the guard.

Age has little effect on wages in Sweden, with the highest wages in the 60-64 age group, 45% higher than those in the 18-24 age group; Swedish education has limited effect on wages, with the wages of graduates with postgraduate education or above 52% higher than those of junior high school graduates; Wages in different regions of Sweden are relatively fair, with a regional difference of only 11%.

Sweden's per capita GDP in 2008 was 365,267 yuan, and the national average annual wage accounted for 96% of the per capita GDP; the minimum wage accounted for 64% of the national average wage and 61% of the per capita GDP.

In addition, the Swedish Prime Minister does not have bodyguards to and from work. He either takes a bus or drives a private car. The public car can only be used for official activities such as receiving foreign guests and going out for inspection.

Norway

In 2008, the average monthly wage in Norway was 40047 yuan (the currency amount has been converted into RMB), of which the contract wage accounted for 94%, the bonus accounted for 3.3%, and the overtime pay accounted for 2.7%; the average monthly wage of the "imperial grain" was 38577 yuan, and that of private enterprises was 40,589 yuan.

The average monthly wage of each industry from high to low is: Petroleum Mining 60817 yuan, financial securities 55779 yuan, electric power 47687 yuan, real estate 44421 yuan, national hospital 41308 yuan, social individual business 41182 yuan. Central government expenditure is yuan 41078 of public employees, yuan 40976 of state school employees, yuan 40514 of transportation, yuan 39393 of manufacturing, yuan 39294 of private schools, yuan 38843 of fisheries, yuan 38273 of construction, yuan 37096 of wholesale and retail, yuan 35272 of local public servants, yuan 34098 of health and social services, and yuan UNK4 of local government employees. Hotel catering is 28261 yuan.

The average monthly wage of private enterprises is RMB 41897, and the ranks from high to low are as follows: RMB 63353 for general managers and chief executives, RMB 54847 for technical experts, RMB 46723 for technicians, RMB 33971 for staff members, RMB 31567 for sales and other service personnel, and RMB 35397 for trade workers. The 30054 of workshop workers is 34824 yuan, and that of apprentices is yuan.

On October 1, 2008, the average monthly salary for all categories of persons at central government expense in Norway was yuan 41458, with wages ranging from higher to lower in the following sectors: education 42389 yuan, community management 41296 yuan, financial securities 42162 yuan, and administrative 41016 yuan. Business and real estate 40690 yuan, construction 36910 yuan, transportation 35773 yuan, medical 35809 yuan.

The average monthly salary of civil servants in the central government administrative organs is 41016 yuan, and the departments from high to low are: diplomats' 47917 yuan, administrative civil servants' 41693 yuan, judicial personnel's 41622 yuan, public security police's 39930 yuan, and military personnel's 39555 yuan.

In 2008, the average monthly wages of employees with various degrees in Norway were: RMB 32760 for employees with primary diploma, RMB 38610 for employees with secondary diploma, RMB 45630 for employees with university diploma, and RMB 56,160 for employees with postgraduate degree or above.

The monthly wage of employees aged 40-54 is the highest, which is about RMB 43875, while that of employees under 24 is the lowest, which is about RMB 27612.

From the above data, it can be seen that the ratio of the salary of civil servants in Norwegian central government agencies to the national average salary is 41016:40047 ≈ 1.0, that is to say, the salary of national civil servants is equal to the national average salary.

In the various organs of the state, the highest salary is paid to diplomats, and the lowest salary is paid to the military. The ratio of the highest salary to the lowest salary is 47917:39555 ≈ 1.2, which is not a big difference.

Among the industries that eat the "imperial grain", the education system has the highest salary, the medical system has the lowest salary, and the cadres (officials) have the middle salary. The ratio of the highest rank salary to the lowest rank salary among the industries is 42389:35809 ≈ 1.2, which is roughly equal.

By rank, the ratio of the highest rank to the lowest rank within each industry in Norway is 63353:30054 ≈ 2.1, that is to say, the salary of the head of an enterprise is roughly twice that of the apprentice.

In Norway, the wage ratio between the highest qualification and the lowest qualification is 56160:32760 ≈ 1.7, with little difference.

By age bracket, the wage ratio of high-income age bracket to low-income age bracket is 43875:27612 ≈ 1.6, which is also not much difference. Between 1986 and 2005, poor Norwegian households (those with less than 50% of the national average income) fluctuated between 2.6 and 4%.

The Civil Servant Law of the People's Republic of China stipulates that "the salary level of civil servants should be coordinated with the development of the national economy and adapted to social progress". This is the basic principle of setting the salary of civil servants in China, and it is also a common practice in most countries in the world. The setting of foreign civil servants' salary is not only closely linked with the national economy and social progress, but also attaches great importance to GDP, price index, Engel's coefficient and other economic indicators, and focuses on three principles: First, the principle of regional balance. In the management of civil servants'salaries, we should embody internal fairness or internal consistency, strive for equal pay for equal work, avoid salary competition among different regions, especially government departments, and improve the allowance system in hard and remote areas. Second, the principle of the proportion of wages and subsidies. The wage and welfare standards of civil servants at the same level are basically unified, with wage income accounting for about 70% -80% of the total income and subsidies accounting for about 20% -30%, so as to prevent the distortion of nominal income and real income. Third, the principle of reasonable wage distribution. The wage sequence of civil servants is diamond-shaped at different levels. On the line between the highest and lowest wage levels, the distribution of personnel in the middle or lower middle position is the most dense, while at the two ends of the lowest and highest wage levels, the distribution proportion of personnel is often smaller. From the international experience, these principles not only ensure the principle and stability of the civil service wage standard, but also consider the necessity and operability of timely adjustment of the wage standard, which is worth learning when China further explores and improves the civil service wage insurance and welfare system.