Latest news with #Brightmine
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK employer pay rises hold at 3% but signs of softness grow, Brightmine says
LONDON (Reuters) -Pay settlements granted by British employers stayed at 3% in the three months to April but many firms are now offering smaller raises, according to figures from data firm Brightmine that are likely to be welcomed by the Bank of England. Wednesday's data marked the fifth consecutive rolling quarter of pay awards at 3%, the weakest pace of increase since December 2021. BoE officials are watching to see how employers react to a hike in their social security contributions - known in Britain as national insurance - and a sharp rise in the national minimum wage. Both took effect in April, a key month for pay deals. Brightmine said nearly half of employers it surveyed offered pay rises below the median 3% level. "Pay awards are stable, but beneath the surface, many businesses are opting for lower rises and our headline median could therefore fall in the months ahead," said Sheila Attwood, HR insights and data lead at Brightmine. "The subdued pattern of pay settlements indicates that many employers continue to approach wage decisions with caution in the face of ongoing cost pressures that will continue into the second half of the year." The BoE wants to see inflation pressure in Britain's jobs market abating sufficiently for it to carry on cutting interest rates. The central bank's chief economist Huw Pill said on Tuesday that the BoE's pace of rate cuts had been too fast. Official figures due at 0600 GMT are likely to show the rate of headline inflation in Britain jumped in April due in large part to higher regulated prices for water and energy. Brightmine analysed 136 pay settlements effective in the three months to April 30 covering more than 309,000 employees. Sign in to access your portfolio
Reuters
20-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
UK employer pay rises hold at 3% but signs of softness grow, Brightmine says
LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - Pay settlements granted by British employers stayed at 3% in the three months to April but many firms are now offering smaller raises, according to figures from data firm Brightmine that are likely to be welcomed by the Bank of England. Wednesday's data marked the fifth consecutive rolling quarter of pay awards at 3%, the weakest pace of increase since December 2021. BoE officials are watching to see how employers react to a hike in their social security contributions - known in Britain as national insurance - and a sharp rise in the national minimum wage. Both took effect in April, a key month for pay deals. Brightmine said nearly half of employers it surveyed offered pay rises below the median 3% level. "Pay awards are stable, but beneath the surface, many businesses are opting for lower rises and our headline median could therefore fall in the months ahead," said Sheila Attwood, HR insights and data lead at Brightmine. "The subdued pattern of pay settlements indicates that many employers continue to approach wage decisions with caution in the face of ongoing cost pressures that will continue into the second half of the year." The BoE wants to see inflation pressure in Britain's jobs market abating sufficiently for it to carry on cutting interest rates. The central bank's chief economist Huw Pill said on Tuesday that the BoE's pace of rate cuts had been too fast. Official figures due at 0600 GMT are likely to show the rate of headline inflation in Britain jumped in April due in large part to higher regulated prices for water and energy. Brightmine analysed 136 pay settlements effective in the three months to April 30 covering more than 309,000 employees.
Newsweek
28-04-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Employees Have a New Fear: Immigration Raids
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As President Donald Trump enforces a crackdown on immigration, many employees have fears about what this will entail for the workforce. In a new survey, three in five workers said they were worried about workplace immigration raids, and companies may need to rethink their policies on these issues moving forward. Why It Matters Trump is set to sign an executive order Monday that would create a list of targeted sanctuary cities that are believed not to be complying with federal immigration laws. The Trump administration has already deported 100,000 undocumented immigrants as of earlier in April, and Trump has also ramped up security at the United States-Mexico border. What To Know HR data company Brightmine's new survey revealed significant concerns among employees about how Trump's policies will extend into the workplace. Three in five workers in the 2,000-person survey said they were worried about immigration raids, and only 26 percent of employees said they trust their employer to be completely transparent. Younger workers tend to have more concerns over the possibility of workplace raids, the report found. Of the surveyed group, 23 percent of Gen Z respondents and 19 percent of millennials were anxious about the possibility of workplace raids and were looking to their employer for clear guidance and support. President Donald Trump holds a meeting with Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (not pictured) at the White House on April 24, 2025. President Donald Trump holds a meeting with Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (not pictured) at the White House on April 24, policy changes could force HR leaders to make considerable changes to how they approach recruiting new talent. Around 36 percent of U.S. workers said they are planning to or are considering leaving their jobs this year due to workplace policy changes. Of that group, 21 percent said they'd clarify a company's stance on DEI during the job search. A new survey from the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found roughly half of Americans say Trump has "gone too far" when it comes to deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. Roughly one-third said Trump's approach has been "about right," and approximately 2 in 10 said he's not gone far enough. What People Are Saying White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday: "It's quite simple—obey the law, respect the law, and don't obstruct federal immigration officials and law enforcement officials when they are simply trying to remove public safety threats from our nation's communities." Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: "There has been heightened awareness of raids occurring throughout the United States, especially at places of work. This has caused some to forgo work altogether in fear of being arrested either during transport or at their place of employment, even if they are a legal migrant with a green card or H-1B visa status." HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek: "Workers aren't being paranoid—they're reacting to reality. We're 99 days into Trump's second term, and we've already seen U.S. citizens wrongfully detained and illegally removed from the country. The line between 'immigration enforcement' and 'civil rights violations' is nonexistent. That sends a brutal message: if you even look out of place, your rights are negotiable." Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of told Newsweek: "What's particularly interesting is how this ties to retention. The survey found people are 'sheltering' in their current jobs despite concerns. This creates a challenging dynamic where workers might feel trapped where they don't fully trust leadership to be transparent about immigration issues." Avery Morgan, the chief human resources officer at EduBirdie, told Newsweek: "Companies should have a plan ready if immigration officials show up. Collaborate with legal counsel to create it. Choose who'll be in charge during such visits and make a list with step-by-step instructions for responding to ICE agents. "Employees need to feel safe discussing their concerns and accessing resources if needed. Whether those concerns are justified or not, companies must be prepared to respond accordingly." What Happens Next While the Trump administration initially said it would only be targeting undocumented immigrants with a criminal history, the administration has appeared to shift its language to focusing generally on all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. "As a result, companies and workforces will have to adapt. As the labor force shrinks and demand remains high, businesses will likely be forced to pay higher wages, and in turn, pass those higher costs onto consumers," Thompson said. Driscoll said businesses will need to work to build trust among employees with transparent policies, clear communication and even legal action. "Companies can't hide behind ignorance anymore. If you're not actively preparing to protect your workers with real policies, clear communication, and public accountability, you're complicit," Driscoll said. "Every person in this country should be terrified, because when the government stops caring about due process, nobody's citizenship papers are enough to keep them safe."
Zawya
23-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
UK employer pay rises hold at 3%, Brightmine says
LONDON: Pay increases granted by British employers stayed at 3% in the three months to March, according to figures from human resources data firm Brightmine that are likely to be welcomed by the Bank of England. It marked the fourth consecutive rolling quarter of pay awards at that level, and the joint lowest pace of increase since December 2021. BoE officials are watching closely to see how employers react to an increase in social security contributions - known in Britain as national insurance - and a higher national minimum wage. Both took effect in April. "Currently the data isn't showing any signs of a knee-jerk reaction to recent national insurance changes," said Sheila Attwood, Brightmine's senior content manager. "However, we do know that employers are taking a watch and wait approach, so we expect to see that reflected in the second half of this year." Britain's minimum wage went up this month by almost 7%. Attwood said Brightmine had seen more pay deals awarded at the lower end of its range, but the overall picture was one of stability. The BoE is watching for signs that inflation pressure in Britain's jobs market is abating sufficiently for it to carry on cutting interest rates. It is widely expected to do so on May 8. Brightmine analysed 125 pay settlements effective in the three months to March 31 covering around 192,000 employees. (Reporting by Andy Bruce; editing by Suban Abdulla)
Reuters
22-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
UK employer pay rises hold at 3%, Brightmine says
LONDON, April 23 (Reuters) - Pay increases granted by British employers stayed at 3% in the three months to March, according to figures from human resources data firm Brightmine that are likely to be welcomed by the Bank of England. It marked the fourth consecutive rolling quarter of pay awards at that level, and the joint lowest pace of increase since December 2021. BoE officials are watching closely to see how employers react to an increase in social security contributions - known in Britain as national insurance - and a higher national minimum wage. Both took effect in April. "Currently the data isn't showing any signs of a knee-jerk reaction to recent national insurance changes," said Sheila Attwood, Brightmine's senior content manager. "However, we do know that employers are taking a watch and wait approach, so we expect to see that reflected in the second half of this year." Britain's minimum wage went up this month by almost 7%. Attwood said Brightmine had seen more pay deals awarded at the lower end of its range, but the overall picture was one of stability. The BoE is watching for signs that inflation pressure in Britain's jobs market is abating sufficiently for it to carry on cutting interest rates. It is widely expected to do so on May 8. Brightmine analysed 125 pay settlements effective in the three months to March 31 covering around 192,000 employees.
