FX.co ★ UK Pay Growth Slows More than Expected

In the UK, regular pay excluding bonuses experienced a 5.2% increase year-on-year, reaching GBP 674 per week over the three months ending in April 2025. This marks the slowest pace in seven months, following a revised 5.5% rise in the prior period, and falls short of the expected 5.4% growth. Wage growth decelerated notably in the private sector, dropping to 5.1% from 5.5%, while it saw a slight uptick in the public sector, rising to 5.6% from 5.5%. Across various industries, wholesale, retail, hotels, and restaurants recorded the highest annual wage growth at 7.7%, followed by the construction sector at 5.9%, services at 5.2%, manufacturing at 5.1%, and finance and business services at 3.2%. When adjusted for inflation, real wages saw an increase of 1.4%.