UK employer pay awards edge up to 3.1%, Brightmine says

LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) – Pay settlements by British employers edged up in the three months ​to the end of September ‌but there was little sign of a shift in wage trends, human resources data firm ​Brightmine said on Wednesday.

The median ​pay award by employers rose to 3.1%, ⁠up from 3.0% in the previous ​three-month periods to August and July ​but lower than the pace of increases seen earlier this year.

On Tuesday, official data showed private sector ​wage growth rose for the first ​time since the end of 2024, adding to ‌the ⁠case for a Bank of England interest rate hike in November.Below are details from the survey:

• Most pay deals did ​not exceed ​those given ⁠a year earlier
• Pay awards were expected to stay at 3% ​in 2027
• Higher employer social security ​contributions ⁠are constraining employers
• An increase in the minimum wage could also stretch budgets
• Brightmine analysed ⁠42 ​pay settlements between July ​1 and September 30 covering more than 650,000 employees.

Writing ​by William Schomberg; editing by Suban Abdulla