Government to require employers to publish salaries in job adverts

Summarised from 4 outlets · 6 reports · Updated 6 Nov, 17:55 · Archive

The government will require employers to publish salaries when advertising jobs, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced.

The government will bring forward legislation to require employers to publish salaries on job adverts, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced. The move is intended to address what the government describes as 'a common frustration' among jobseekers, particularly those applying for their first job.

Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that 41 per cent of employers always include salary information in their job adverts, whilst 27 per cent never include it. Only 18 per cent of employers always publish specific salaries rather than ranges.

Burnham said the change would help both young people entering the job market and women negotiating pay. He stated: 'Whether you're a young person starting out or a parent trying to support your family, you should know what a job pays before spending your time and effort applying for it. That's why we will make it a legal requirement for all employers to say what you pay.' Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson said women are less likely than men to negotiate pay and more likely to face backlash when doing so, meaning they often receive lower starting offers that drag down lifetime earnings.

Workers' rights campaigners and trade unions have welcomed the announcement. Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said: 'Anyone who's searched for a job knows how frustration it is to read "competitive salary".'

The announcement has prompted criticism of the government's own MPs, with the Daily Mail reporting that over a dozen Labour MPs are currently advertising jobs without specifying salaries. Burnham told the BBC the new rule would 'apply completely' to MPs and called on employers to begin voluntarily complying before the law takes effect.

How it is being reported

• Andy Burnham slaps down Labour MPs who aren't putting salaries on their own job ads - despite the party's new policy forcing employers to do soThe Prime Minister's new announcement was ridiculed today, as it emerged that a number of Mr Burnham's backbenchers are breaching the rule with their own job listings.Daily Mail · 6 Nov, 17:31
• Burnham to force employers to publish salaries on job ads in latest government ‘small fix’ – UK politics livePrime minister said his government would bring in legal requirement for companies to say what they pay when listing new jobs Hello and welcome to the UK politics live blog. Employers will be forced to publish salaries on job adverts, Andy Burnham has announced, in the government’s latest “small fix” to help improve people’s lives. Whether you’re a young person starting out or a parent trying to support your family, you should know what a job pays before spending your time and effort applying for it. That’s why we will make it a legal requirement for all employers to say what you pay. Andy…The Guardian · 6 Nov, 09:40
• Employers to be forced to put salaries on job ads, Andy Burnham announcesWorkers’ rights campaigners say measure will help young people and women in particular achieve more equal pay Business live – latest updates Employers will be forced to publish salaries on job adverts, Andy Burnham has announced, in an effort to empower both employees and jobseekers. The prime minister said his government would bring in a legal requirement for companies to say what they pay when listing new jobs, which campaigners say will help young people and women in particular achieve more equal pay. Continue reading...The Guardian · 6 Nov, 08:54
• Burnham urges firms to publish pay in job adverts ahead of new lawAndy Burnham has called on businesses to publish salaries in job adverts rather than wait for a new law to take effect which will mandate them to do so. The government said it is planning to bring forward legislation to make it compulsory for salaries to be visible on job adverts before people apply to [...]City AM · 6 Nov, 07:51
• Employers will be forced to say how much new jobs will pay when they advertise them, Andy Burnham saysResearch by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found 41 per cent of employers always included salary information in their job adverts.Daily Mail · 6 Nov, 07:30
• Bosses will be ordered to declare salaries on job adverts under new lawLess than half (41%) of employers always publish their salary ranges and only 1 in 5 (18%) always publish specific salaries, according to figures from the CIPDThe Mirror · 5 Nov, 22:30

In this story: Andy Burnham · Bridget Phillipson · Paul Nowak · Labour · CIPD · Trades Union Congress

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log