Pay, including bonuses, for UK employees was 0.2% lower than it was a year ago, according to research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Its UK Labour market, August 2014 report found that this was mainly due to an unusually high growth rate for April 2013 because some employers that typically paid bonuses in March paid them in April last year.
Pay, excluding bonuses, for UK employees was 0.6% higher than it was a year ago.
The report stated that this was the lowest annual growth rate since records began in 2001 and reflects low pay growth across a wide range of sectors.
The report also found:
- Average regular pay, excluding bonuses, was £450 per week before tax and other deductions.
- Average total pay, including bonuses, was £477 per week before tax and other deductions.
- Between June 2013 and June 2014, the Consumer Prices Index increased by 1.9%.
Iain McMath, chief executive officer of Sodexo Benefits and Rewards, said: “The gap between wages and inflation has risen again as pay struggles to keep up with the growing economy.
“The combination of the latest inflation data and ONS wages data show that the widespread financial stress caused by the recession is not a concern that is growing any less relevant in the current, relatively prosperous economic climate.
“For employers, there is a strong incentive to try and tackle this problem, both to improve the wellbeing of their employees and to rebuild workplace efficiency and tackle unnecessary sick days.”