State and municipal employees make 17 percent less than their private sector counterparts in Texas, with a disparity larger than the national average.

The Dallas Morning News is reporting that a new study shows that government employees across the country have been losing ground to private employees with comparable educations and experience. The process has accelerated  over the past decade.

State employees averaged 11 percent less and local government workers 12 percent less nationally between the years 2000 and 2008, according to the study done for the Center for State & Local Government Excellence.

The center is a Washington, D.C., based non-profit group that works with with state and local agencies to improve the quality of their work forces.