The median pay award across the economy remained steady at 3.0% in the three months to August 2025, according to our latest analysis. The upper quartile rose from 3.2% in July to 3.4% in August due to a larger proportion of high-end awards worth 4% or more. Nearly a fifth (19%) of increases were at this level – up from 9% – and this has been buoyed up by outcomes in manufacturing and the public sector. Our latest sample contains 31 pay awards effective between 1 June and 31 August 2025, together covering over 700,000 workers and predominantly reflects the picture in the private sector since very few public sector awards occur at this time of year.
