Salary discrepancy in the Brazilian executive branch: a cluster analysis

Abstract This paper verifies the evolution of the remuneration pattern of different higher-level careers within the Brazilian federal executive branch from 1998 to 2015. In recent years, the differences in remuneration have substantially increased in the Brazilian civil service. However, the results obtained through cluster analysis suggest a pattern of greater pay raise for “typical state careers” to the detriment of others. This reveals a pattern of salary appreciation within the executive branch and, especially, an internal distributive conflict, in which those careers closer to the central power and with characteristics of “typical state careers” were gradually benefiting, establishing a major change in the relative remuneration pattern among different careers over the studied period.

摘要：本研究验证了1998年至2015年间巴西联邦行政部门内不同高阶公职职业的薪酬模式演变。近年来，巴西公职系统的薪酬差异已显著扩大。然而，通过聚类分析（cluster analysis）得到的研究结果表明，“典型公职职业（typical state careers）获得了更高幅度的薪酬增长，且以牺牲其他职业的利益为代价。这揭示了行政部门内部的薪酬增值格局，尤其凸显出内部分配冲突：那些更贴近核心权力、且具备“典型公职职业”特征的职业逐渐获益，使得研究周期内不同职业间的相对薪酬模式发生了重大变革。