Over the last two years, as America has experienced the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, workers have been battered. Employment has fallen sharply, with the employment rolls shrinking 5 percent from their peaks and unemployment around 10 percent. Hourly compensation has approximately kept pace with inflation but has not risen significantly in real terms.However, this broad picture masks a sharp difference between two classes of employees: those who work in the private sector and those who work for the government.