In Costa Rica civil servants earn on average 150% more than workers in the private sector, which contributes decisively to the growth of inequality and lowers the overall competitiveness of human resources.
While the norm in the private sector is to take into consideration of the practical skills each employee possesses for the fulfillment of their duties, the State prioritizes academic achievements, both when recruiting and when setting compensation levels.
One example of this is that someone with a postgraduate degree "...is up to 62% more profitable working for the State than in the private sector."
In the private sector the responsibility for correctly assessing the suitability of a candidate for the post, is carried out by an evaluator paid by the company-internally or contracted out- in which academic achievements are only part of what is looked at. In the state the responsibility for efficienct recruitment is delegated to third parties - not responsbile to those who contract them- such as universities and other educational institutions which issue certificates that can often only certify the approval of an academic examination, and not some adequacy for performing the job.
"... State policies explicitly reward investment in education in the public sector, which are atypical in the private sector, where wages are related to supply and demand." See Post Graduates are up to 62% more profitable in the State
Regarding the impact of this on society, the article reports that "... In fact, the enrichment of public officials at a faster rate than private sector employees is the second largest contributor to Costa Rica being a more unequal country, with the Gini coefficient increasing from 2004 to 2013 by 40% ; and the Theil index by 22%, according to research by Andrés Fernández based on Enigh 2013. "
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The power of public employees' guilds in the country was evidenced by the agreement that authorities of the Social Security Fund agreed to sign in order that employees of the entity may continue to enjoy privileges to the detriment of others.
EDITORIAL
Arguing that "judicializing" the strike was the only and best way out that could be achieved in the short term, the highest authorities of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) complied with the pressures of trade guild members, who with the desire to maintain the differential treatment they have enjoyed for many years, suspended access to basic health services, even carrying out actions as despicable as closing a blood bank and paralyzing equipment for cancer treatment.
Differences have been reported of up to one thousand percent in the salaries of staff performing identical functions in state universities.
Editorial
A study by the deputy Otto Guevara, according to a report by Crhoy.com, confirms the distortion generated by the wage policy of the Costa Rican public sector in the labor market in the country.
Costa Rican government employees earn up to 50% more than their peers in the private sector, and they have announced marches and strikes because they want to earn even more.
EDITORIAL
In Costa Rica, a country of 4.5 million inhabitants of which 20% live in poverty, there are 1,600 government officials whose monthly salaries are over $10,000, some reaching up to $70,000 a month.
When vacancies arise companies fill them paying the new employee less than before, and give them even more demanding requirements.
A Manpower study outlined in an article in Prensalibre.com notes that in Guatemala "requirements are increased when new staff are hired, however the wages offered are not in line with the international market.
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