State Employees' Wages Rise Fast
The salaries of government employees in the first half of the year rose significantly faster than average for salaries in Russia. According to Rosstat, the federal statistics agency, the average salary of employees in the executive branch rose 37 percent year-on-year (27.9 percent with inflation, compared to 29 percent – 17.1 percent with inflation – last year) to 15,803 rubles per month. The national average was 12,439 rubles. Experts say that the civil service is becoming an excellent entry into the middle class.
As of the end of last year, 1.58 million people worked in state agencies and local administrations, excluding law enforcement at all levels. That was 7.9 percent more than the year before.
Officials in St. Petersburg earn more on average (34,722 rubles) than those in Moscow (30,600 rubles). Local officials earn less than federal, with an average of 13,692 rubles (up 22.7 percent). Regional officials in the executive branch of government averaged 23,029 rubles (up 23 percent). Top regions for civil salaries are Nenets Autonomous Area (59,762 rubles), Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area (58,525 rubles), Chukotka (48,351 rubles) and Tyumen Region (47,148 rubles). The bottom regions are Dagestan (10,125 rubles), Kabardino-Balkaria (10,740 rubles) and Ulyanovsk Region (12,316 rubles). State salaries still lag behind those in the private sector and, according to Transparency International Russia, corruption is not being reduced as state salaries rise.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 17, 2007
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Photo: Pavel Smertin
