In February 2009, average weekly pay was £459.10 (€515) – a 5.8% drop compared with the same period in 2008. The private sector is suffering the most, with a 7.7% wage drop. On the contrary, in the public sector, wages increased of 3.2% within a year. In the private sector, the industry is very badly hit. Another study, carried out by the manufacturers’ organization EEF shows that wages in the sector, particularly affected by the crisis, fell to a record level. While civil servants’ wages increased of 2%, workers in the industry got a 1.6% adjustment from January to March 2009. This is the lowest figure since 1987, when the EEF started its surveys. David Yeandle, EEF head of employment policy said: “This continued squeeze on pay demonstrates very starkly not just the severe impact that the economic downturn is having on manufacturers, but the effort companies, employees and their representatives are making to avoid redundancies.”
87, when the EEF started its surveys. David Yeandle, EEF head of employment policy said: “This continued squeeze on pay demonstrates very starkly not just the severe impact that the economic downturn is having on manufacturers, but the effort companies, employees and their representatives are making to avoid redundancies.”
Businesses are still pessimistic. According to a third survey, carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce, the number of businesses freezing wages keeps increasing, like
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