Updated to include the Brightmine pay settlement data for the three months to the end of October 2025. Brightmine will publish the next pay figures on 17 December 2025.
After holding steady at 3% for much of 2025, the UK's median basic pay award edged up to 3.3% in the latest quarter - lifted by a wave of public-sector settlements. As employers await clarity from the Autumn Budget and a potential Bank of England interest rate cut, confidence in pay-setting remains cautious but steady.
Sheila Attwood, senior content manager at Brightmine, shares insights into how organisations are managing financial and labour market constraints while still rewarding employees.