A round-up of public finance articles from the US & Canada you might have missed this week (September 9-13).
Public sector workers make more in salary and benefits than those in private sector, US survey finds
Government employees in the US are paid more than their private sector counterparts, according to employee compensation data released by the Federal Labor Department. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Fudging figures is no way to solve Kentucky's public pension crisis
Opinion: Kentucky’s public sector pension funds have a reported funding gap of $34bn, which ranks close to the worst in the nation. But the situation could be even worse. (Newsdemocratleader.com)
Seattle city council wants more funding for immigrant services
The ethnic make-up of Seattle has been changing for decades, and immigration is now having a far-reaching impact on the city’s services from education to social services. The Office of the Mayor has announced a new initiative to increase public support for immigrant and refugee communities. (The Capitol Hill Times)
Federal funding paying dividends for Canadian firms
A Canadian federal government programme – the Federal Economic Development Agency – has boosted the creation of new firms. (Ottawa Business Journal)
Canadian natural resources minister meets US energy secretary to discuss collaboration
Natural resources minister Joe Oliver says Canada wants to collaborate with the US on common emissions targets for oil sands extraction, fracking and other non-conventional sources of oil and gas. (The Canadian Press)
