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Commons Briefing paper by Brigid Francis-Devine. It was first published on Wednesday, 18 March 2015. It was last updated on Tuesday, 21 July 2026.


Average earnings: Economic indicators

Economic indicators are quick-read summaries of the latest data focusing on different aspects of the UK economy. The full suite of indicators can be found on the main Economic Indicators page.

In April 2025 median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees in the UK were £767, up from £728 in April 2023. Adjusted for inflation, median earnings for full-time employees increased by 1.7%.

More recent but less detailed data shows average weekly earnings for all employees in Great Britain increased by 3.4% excluding bonuses in the three months to May 2026 compared with the previous year. Average weekly pay including bonuses increased by 4.3%.

Inflation as measured by the CPI averaged 3.0% over the same period. After adjusting for inflation, average pay excluding bonuses was 0.4% higher than the previous year and average pay including bonuses was 1.3% higher.

Time series chart showing average weekly earnings adjusted for inflation. Earnings including and excluding bonuses remained stable until 2020, when they fell briefly and then rose. After a fall in 2022, they have been slowly rising.

Trends by sector

Average weekly total pay (including bonuses, not adjusted for inflation) rose by 4.0% in the private sector and by 5.5% in the public sector in the three months to May 2026 compared with the year before.

Pay levels

Median hourly earnings (excluding overtime) were £19.67 for full-time employees at April 2025: £20.27 for men working full-time and £18.87 for women. Median hourly earnings (excluding overtime) were £14.11 for part-time employees; £13.85 for men and £14.25 for women. Women are more likely than men to work part-time.

Next updates

This page is updated when new data is published. The next source updates will be:

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Secondary information

Type
Research briefing
Reference
SN02795 
Category
Economic indicators
Subjects
Employment Economic situation Average earnings
Contains statistics
Yes
Published by
Economic Policy and Statistics Section
House of Commons Library
Link
View this Research briefing on researchbriefings.parliament.uk