The median pay award across the economy has held steady at 3.5% for the three months to May 2026, according to our latest analysis. This is the fifth consecutive period in which the median has been 3.5%: it has not dipped below this level since the three months to December 2025, when it was 3.0%. The largest cluster – 48% – of awards continues to occur in the 3% and 3.99% bracket, which is down a little from 49% in April. As a result, the interquartile range of awards is unchanged from last month at between 3.0% and 4.0%. The mode, or most common increase, is 3.0%. Our latest sample contains 247 pay awards...
