Topics

Pay awards/rises

New and updated

  • Date:
    18 March 2026
    Type:
    Survey analysis

    Pay award forecasts for 2026

    The first pay awards of 2026 have shown some growth compared with 2025, but is this new year boost likely to last the year? We look in detail at organisations' pay award plans for the coming 12 months.

  • Date:
    18 February 2026
    Type:
    Survey analysis

    Pay trends February 2026: A first look at the 2026 pay settlement landscape

    Following a year defined by steady pay deals, cost pressures and a softening labour market, we turn our attention to the pay award outlook for 2026.

  • Date:
    21 January 2026
    Type:
    Survey analysis

    Pay trends January 2026: Little change expected in 2026

    As we look ahead to 2026, pay awards are expected to remain close to the 3% median recorded for much of 2025.

  • Date:
    17 December 2025
    Type:
    Survey analysis

    Pay trends December 2025: A year of the stagnant 3%

    After a short-lived lift from public-sector pay deals in the autumn, the UK's median basic pay award has settled back to 3%, confirming 2025 as a year of flatter, more subdued pay growth than 2024.

  • Date:
    18 November 2025
    Type:
    Survey analysis

    Pay trends November 2025: Increased public-sector pay activity breaks the year's 3% trend

    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.

  • Date:
    22 October 2025
    Type:
    Commentary and insights

    Reward priorities in 2026

    What are UK employers prioritising when it comes to reward in 2026? We reveal the key themes emerging from our latest survey of more than 200 organisations, offering insight into how pay, benefits and recognition are set to evolve in the next year.

  • Date:
    22 October 2025
    Type:
    Editor's choice

    Compare your organisation using the new Brightmine benchmarker spreadsheets

    Available to all HR & Compliance Centre and Benchmarking - HR Metrics customers, the new benchmarker spreadsheets allow you to generate tailored insights for your organisation and see how you compare to other organisations on key metrics, from pay awards to holiday entitlement.

  • Date:
    22 October 2025
    Type:
    Survey analysis

    Pay trends October 2025: Stability continues to define pay settlements

    Pay awards have now held at 3% for much of 2025 - the new normal for UK pay settlements. The latest Brightmine analysis confirms another period of steady outcomes and limited change across sectors.

  • Date:
    22 October 2025
    Type:
    Survey analysis

    Forecasts for pay awards in 2025/2026

    Pay awards have been stable throughout 2025, but lower than seen in the previous two years. We now take stock of the pay setting environment and look ahead to likely activity in 2026.

  • Date:
    24 September 2025
    Type:
    Survey analysis

    Review of pay awards 2025: Pay bargaining calendar

    To help guide your 2026 pay award planning, explore when pay settlements typically take effect across the economy.

About this topic

HR and legal information and guidance relating to pay awards/rises.

Pay awards/rises: key resources

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