Pay awards end year on low note, study shows

Pay awards are ending the year on a low note, with recent awards worth 1.6%, a new study shows.

The median figure is below the 2% norm over the past few years, said pay analysts XpertHR.

The figure for the three months to November is 0.1% higher than the previous month, a survey of 85 agreements showed.

XpertHR pay and benefits editor Sheila Attwood said: "Employers have acted with caution over the past year when it comes to rewarding employees, and we expect this to continue when pay bargaining gets into full swing again in the New Year."