Four in 10 (41%) jobseekers say they would refuse to apply for a job if no salary information is provided, according to new research from CV-Library, one of the UK's largest job boards.
Yet CV-Library's analysis of job market data shows just 58% of job adverts included salary information over the last 12 months, meaning a considerable number of employers could be losing potential applicants before they've got a chance to enter the hiring pool.
The findings come from the latest Candidate Behaviour Barometer 2026, which surveyed 1,043 candidates and 233 recruiters and direct employers.
The proportion of candidates refusing to apply without salary information has also risen from 38% in 2025 to 41%, suggesting pay transparency is increasingly important to jobseekers.
Salary is the clearest priority for candidates when assessing a job advert, with 66% selecting it as the single most important aspect of an advert. A further 58% say salary information is essential when deciding whether to apply, with a further 37% saying it is preferred.
Four in five recruiters (80%) identify a competitive salary as one of candidates' top three priorities on a job listing. There is a clear disconnect between what recruiters know candidates want and what they provide.
For employers that don't disclose salary, the reasons are largely practical. Salary varying according to experience is the most common reason, cited by 27% of recruiters, while 16% say they want to attract a wider pool of candidates who might otherwise rule themselves out based on salary.
A further 13% say budgets have not been finalised when a role is advertised, while 9.3% of recruiters say they rarely or never disclose salary information on their job adverts.
Key takeaways
- Salary disclosure can determine whether candidates enter the hiring process at all.
- Despite salary being candidates' top priority, 42% of adverts still omit it.
- A banded salary range can provide clarity while retaining flexibility for experience.
“There's a clear disconnect between what employers know candidates want and what they put in front of the. Recruiters tell us salary is one of the biggest priorities for jobseekers, yet a significant proportion of adverts continue to leave candidates guessing – and four in 10 say they'll walk away where it's not provided.
The reasons for withholding salary aren't necessarily deliberate, but with legislation on the horizon, the smartest move for employers is to get ahead of it now. A banded salary range which can be scaled by experience gives candidates the clarity they're asking for and gives employers some flexibility to decide on the right salary.”
Katie Emerton, Recruitment Expert, CV-Library
Methodology
The Candidate Behaviour Barometer 2026 is CV-Library's second annual study into hiring attitudes, drawing on two independent surveys - 1,043 UK jobseekers and 233 recruiters, hiring managers and direct employers, conducted in August 2026. As the audiences were surveyed separately, figures shown side by side compare separate viewpoints, not like-for-like responses.
