The gap between pay rises and the soaring cost of living remained at record highs in the three months to November, figures have shown, laying bare the struggles facing millions of families across the UK. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that real wages fell 3.9% in September to November compared to the year before.
The real wage figure works out how much better or worse off people are after taking into account consumer prices index inflation (CPI). It is the same fall as registered in October’s figures, and is the joint highest drop in real earnings since the three months to April 2009, when they dropped by 4.5%. Pay rose by 6.4% in the three months – 7.2% in the private sector and 3.3% for public sector workers.
ONS director of economic statistics, Darren Morgan, said: “The real value of people’s pay continues to fall, with prices still rising faster than earnings. This remains amongst the fastest drops in regular earnings since records began.”
