Pay settlements remain at just 2% across the board, but there are positive signs from the latest batch of data, according to pay specialists XpertHR.
In the three months to the end of July 2014, the median pay deal resulted in an increase of 2%, unchanged since the three months to the end of April. However, less than one settlement in 10 (7.1%) resulted in a pay freeze, and a quarter of deals are worth 2.8% or more.
The most common pay awards are 2% and 3%, each accounting for 16.7% of the basic pay awards in our sample.
By sector, while the private sector overall continues to record a median 2% pay award, firms in the manufacturing-and-production sector paid a median 2.7% increase, the highest level recorded since June 2013. Pay awards in private-sector-services firms remain at a median 2% in the three months to the end of July.
Over the past year the median pay award in the private sector was worth 2.1%, compared with 1% among public-sector organisations.
XpertHR Pay and Benefits editor Sheila Attwood said:
"It is encouraging to see some higher pay awards being made, and few employers making pay freezes. As attention starts to turn to the new year wage round, we are hopeful that we will see an upturn in settlement levels during 2015."