{"id":27082,"date":"2023-10-10T18:01:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T18:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/10\/10\/more-feds-in-line-for-locality-pay-increases-with-others-still-pending\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:04:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:04:41","slug":"more-feds-in-line-for-locality-pay-increases-with-others-still-pending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/pay-benefits\/2023\/10\/10\/more-feds-in-line-for-locality-pay-increases-with-others-still-pending\/","title":{"rendered":"More feds in line for locality pay increases, with others pending"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Another group of federal civilian employees could see a bump to their locality pay in 2024, according to a report by the Office of Personnel Management.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pending approval via the normal regulatory process, the two Washington state counties of Clallam and Jefferson would be included in the Seattle-Tacoma locality pay area, according to the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locality pay, which is calculated by comparing the rate of pay for similar work done by federal and nonfederal workers in an area, is usually updated each year for 1.5 million federal employees on the General Schedule. The goal is to help address pay disparities across the workforce and mitigate areas with higher costs-of-living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The change affecting the Seattle-Tacoma locality pay area, however, \u201cwill not be made until appropriate rulemaking to make the change is complete,\u201d OPM said in the report. \u201cThe timing of such rulemaking has not yet been determined.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a meeting of the Federal Salary Council last October, Taska Elin, president of the Puget Sound Federal Firefighters, said closing the pay disparity in Jefferson County <\/a>would help address hiring and attrition issues exacerbated by a high turnover rate of first responders working at Naval Magazine Indian Island, which supports logistics for the Pacific Fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Already, more than 32,000 employees are in line for a locality pay increase<\/a> in Fresno, California; Reno, Nevada; Rochester, New York; and Spokane, Washington. These areas were recommended in last year\u2019s report, though they have yet to be implemented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That could happen as early as January, Federal Times previously reported. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pay gaps persist<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Each year, the federal government reports on the status of pay gaps across the country for its workforce and evaluates recommendations for improving or adjusting locality pay based on input by the Federal Salary Council and the President\u2019s Pay Agent, which comprises the secretary of Labor, along with the directors of OPM and the Office of Management and Budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locality pay was created by Congress in 1990 to limit gaps between federal and non-federal pay in specific parts of the country to no more than 5%. To do that in fiscal 2024, that could cost agencies roughly $22 billion, according to OPM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are more than 50 locality pay areas, illustrating that 85% of the federal workforce works outside of the Capital region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The provisions underlying locality pay have remained largely unchanged since they were established in the 1990s, per the Congressional Research Service. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t