Where comparable private sector jobs existed, the ward salary was 1.6 to 1.9 times higher, while the age was a few years younger.

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In the middle ranks, outside hotspots such as London, the south-east and Bristol, the rewards are often not out of line with those for comparable private-sector jobs, if pensions, benefits and holidays are all added in, and have recently been rising in relative terms as private-sector pay has stalled.

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The government reported that 8.1 million new jobs created in the first seven months, which is 390, 000 more than that by July last year and comparable with the 12 million jobs created in 2011 and the 11 million in 2010 when China was winding down its massive crisis spending from 2008.

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How comparable is work in a warehouse with other jobs?

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