Pay data: January 2012

There has been little movement in average pay deals for the three months ending December 2011 according to five pay research organisations with deals stuck at around 2.5%. But private sector deals in early 2012 look as if they might be on the up.

• According to XpertHR the 3-month headline measure of pay settlements was 2.5%. However, XpertHR shows that private sector pay deals have reached a 3-year high of 2.8% in January 2012.
• The Engineering Employers Federation shows the 3-month average at 2.4% (but based on a small number of settlements). The proportion of pay freezes was broadly unchanged at 16%
• Croner Reward shows that across-the board settlements for 2011 were 2.3% with the forecast figure for 2012 being 2.5%.
• The Labour Research Department's Payline shows the median pay increase at 2.5%.
• IDSPay.co.uk says that pay settlements in the final quarter of 2011 were at a similar level to those recorded throughout the year with a median increase of 2.5%. But, like XpertHR, it says that private sector deals in early 2012 are coming in at higher levels than the median recorded for most of 2011. Of the 30 deals it has recorded so far in 2012, nearly two-thirds are at 3% or above, led by higher awards in the manufacturing sector.