Last week, President Biden announced his official proposal for an average 5.2% pay increase for 2024, which would give federal employees their largest pay raise in 43 years.

The president’s plan would help close the pay gap between federal employees and their private sector counterparts, which stands at 24.09% according to the Federal Salary Council.

Congress has been silent so far on a federal pay raise in annual appropriations bills, deferring to the president’s proposal.

Under the president’s alternative pay plan, the 5.2% increase federal employees would receive consists of a 4.7% across-the-board increase with 0.5% devoted to locality pay.