Cross Country Comparisons of Public Employment and Pay of 26 Latin American and Caribbean Countries

This paper compares public sector employment and pay in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). It highlights the methodological challenges of gathering and making valid comparisons on the basis of such data. Within these limitations, therefore, the paper compares the countries of the region in respect to the size of the public sector, the magnitude of public sector wages, and trends in public employment and pay, and it examines some hypotheses regarding the determinants of public employment and pay and of effective, clean government.