> You don't really get to negotiate wages as a federal employee. Not on an individual basis, no. But the rates get set according to the market just like everyt

> You don't really get to negotiate wages as a federal employee. Not on an individual basis, no. But the rates get set according to the market just like everything else, to the lowest that results in sufficient supply. The market is always moving. Recent changes will result in positive price pressure. Rates will inevitably lag, but they do not exist in a vacuum relative to the market. Benefits of government employment exist, but other changing factors still move the market.