The latest ABS Labour Price Index report suggests that public servants have escaped the financial crisis unscathed, with public sector hourly pay rates growing at 4% over 2009-10.  In contrast, perhaps because private sector employers remain cautious in the wake of the financial crisis, private sector hourly pay rates grew at 2.7% over 2009-10.  These figures do not take account of bonuses, however.  Let’s hope the bonus pools are reasonable this year, or there may be a lot of private sector workers checking out jobs.qld.gov.au.