Employees in the following five industries are expected to see the largest salary increases in 2022 compared with their actual increases in 2021: "There's a great reprioritization of work, rewards and careers under way, and it's putting significant pressure on compensation programs for many employers," said Catherine Hartmann, North America Rewards practice leader, WTW. 2021 was another year of change, with tightening labor markets pushing salary increases around the world. However, considering that changes in salary budgets often lag economic trends by 6 to 12 months, it appears that we are now seeing salary budgets catch up with labor market dynamics. Case in point: WTWs July 2022 Salary Budget Planning Survey results show that 96% of companies globally increased salaries (compared to 63% in 2020), and overall budgets have increased significantly over prior years. This feels comparatively low especially if you look back at April 2020 when unemployment spiked at 14.8%. White Plains, New York. This makes it more critical for organizations to have a clear strategy for awarding pay increases as effectively as possible. More than ever, making the most of your capital means solving a complex risk-and-return equation. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have . Bonuses for support staff and production and manual labor employees averaged 8.0% and 5.5%, respectively. For those having this debate, here are a few considerations: Making salary decisions can be challenging when topics like inflation, labor shortages and wage increases are creating a stir in headlines. Finally, remember other payments you may have made during the year retention bonuses or recognition awards. A total of 1,220 companies representing a cross section of . We design and deliver solutions that manage risk, optimize benefits, cultivate talent, and expand the power of capital to protect and strengthen institutions and individuals. After all, you cant respond to everything happening in the market, all at once. Frontline hourly workers: Cant get them. All rights reserved. WTW's latest Salary Budget Planning Report, based on a survey conducted between April and June 2021, found . More than ever, making the most of your capital means solving a complex risk-and-return equation. Are salary increase budgets going to be higher or lower than the prior year? Gonzalo brings in-excess of 15 years of high-profile B2B global sales experience, diverse international business development, enterprise key account management, and vast HR consulting expertise, most recently selling SaaS solutions in the talent management world with Korn Ferry/Qualtrics, Great Place to Work, Culture Amp and Willis Towers Watson.<br><br>Prior to taking up his current post at . Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW) is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. Global Innovation and Product Development Leader, Rewards Data Intelligence, Average increase of salary budgets in 2023 forecasted by the 15 largest economies, Benefits Administration and Outsourcing Solutions, Executive Compensation and Board Advisory, Financial, Executive and Professional Risks (FINEX). Attracting and retaining employees remains a major challenge for employers. Among organizations that are planning to grant increases, average salary increases of 4.3% are forecasted (vs. 4.0% actual increases in 2021) for the top 15 economies in the world. There are growing concerns that a recession is unavoidable. To address ongoing challenges, organizations are deciding how to focus their compensation spend for the greatest impact. Email author Lori Wisper and continue the conversation. Salaries at Willis Towers Watson range from an average of $49,528 to $127,613 a year. ARLINGTON, VA, November 17, 2022 Overall salary increases in the U.S. are forecast to rise to 4.6% in 2023, up from an actual spend of 4.2% this year, as the majority of companies react to inflationary pressures (77%) and concerns over the tighter labor market . Facing ongoing business and economic conditions in 2022, organizations around the world have been forced to stay current with whats happening in the employee marketplace and how that affects pay and then adapt accordingly. Notably, raises are returning to pre-pandemic levels. That's the finding from a new survey by . From determining how work gets done and how its valued to improving the health and financial wellbeing of your workforce, we add perspective. Remember to segment your workforce, for example by employee level (e.g., hourly, professional, executive), performance level or jobs in which youre having trouble attracting and retaining talent. Unlike the financial crisis of 2008 to 2010, when virtually every industry was impacted the same way, the economic fallout of 2020 was a health crisis certainly, but financial systems remained sound and strong. That's according to a new survey by WTW (Willis Towers Watson, NASDAQ: WTW), a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company. Some had record earnings and paid out significantly above-target bonuses but, in many cases, targeted at or below the typical 3% salary increase level that also was reported as the going rate in 2020. 4.9% However, rising inflation in Argentina and Venezuela made these countries the exceptions to the rule, with increases of 7.3 and 279.9 percentage points higher in 2021 vs. 2020. While it is true that salary budgets reflect the supply and demand of labor, which also is measured by the unemployment rate, there is a lag in the timing of that reflection. According to the survey, employer concerns over their ability to hire and retain talent far outweighed other factors for boosting salary increases. The Great Resignation has forced employers to pay higher starting salaries for talent theyve lost, while also adjusting salaries to retain those they are trying to keep. The survey also revealed over nine in 10 companies (91%) awarded annual performance bonuses this year based on 2020 performance, significantly higher than 76% of companies that awarded them last year. ARLINGTON, VA, January 13, 2022 Fueled by tight labor markets, U.S. employers are boosting their original salary increase projections for 2022 as the Great Resignation shows no signs of abating.That's according to a new survey by WTW (Willis Towers Watson, NASDAQ: WTW), a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company. However, the duration and scale are unknown. Being adaptable to ongoing market-condition changes is never easy, but indications show that employers are returning to a more-normal salary review cycle in 2022. This projection is followed by 2023 projections in the United Kingdom (4.0%), Germany (3.8%), and Spain (3.6%). Overall salary increases in the US will be the most since 2007, a survey of 1.550 organizations from workplace consultant Willis Towers Watson (WTW) found, and above the 4.2% increase for this . Description. HR pros plan for the highest pay increases in nearly 20 years, By | The report provides data on actual salary budget increase percentages for the past and current years, along with projected increases for next year. Step 3: Confirm contact preferences*. What are you trying to achieve with salary increases? 2021.Last Update: May 30, 2022. are making to help attract and retain employees is boosting salary increase budgets for 2022. . Manage the day-to-day delivery of insurance management services to our clients and be a primary or secondary point of contact within Willis Towers Watson. Industrial manufacturing: 2.6% to 3.4%. Life and health insurance: 2.7% to 3.5%. 10% increase in the number of unique organizations participating in WTW's 2022 general industry surveys, and a 10% overall increase in data submissions. 2021-2022 saw higher pay increase budgets. The larger raises coincide with a surge in demand for labor and a shortage of supply of hourly workers and specific professional roles with premium skills. 2022 salary budgets: With worker shortages, why arent they higher? Editors note: At the time of publication, WTW has reported that salary budgets in the U.S. are showing median salary budget 2021 actuals and 2022 projections of 3% (with more than 1,000 companies reporting). | It felt like a true mystery. Organizations should prioritize their actions based on the needs of both employers and employees and pay close attention to market data to inform any changes.. In fact, most markets pushed their original forecasts to budgets that are higher than have been seen in nearly 20 years. Belgium), your salary increases will need to follow the guidelines. Clients depend on us for specialized industry expertise. As inflation is forecast at 2% for next year, this is nearly a full percentage point rise . Labor market and inflationary pressure fueling higher-than-projected increases. Willis Towers Watson employees with the job title Insurance Broker make the most with an average annual salary . The Salary Budget Planning Report is compiled by WTWs Data Services practice. And in the 15 largest economies, that 2023 projection is 1.5 percentage points higher than the 4.0% actual increase in 2021 and the 5.0% average actual increase granted in 2022. Organizations in France, Russia, India and South Korea are all forecasting salary increase budgets that are more than half a percentage point higher in 2022 compared to the prior year. Global pension assets record largest annual decline since the global financial crisis. At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Only 3% of employers freezing salaries. Sources: 1990-1994 Data: American Compensation Association Salary Budget Survey. This sounds like a simple question, but a clear answer isnt always easy. Consider segmenting by employee level (e.g., hourly, professional, executive), performance level or even by areas in which youre having trouble attracting and retaining (e.g., digital talent). Finance: 2.7% to 3.5%. The extreme labor market swings in such a short time meant that salary budget planning never really caught up to the craziness of the pandemic. Copyright 2023 WTW. Or perhaps you need a more targeted approach to retain specific employee groups by offering retention bonuses or spot award or adjusting salary ranges more aggressively. Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information. Average actual salary increases hit 5.0% percent in 2022 as compared to 4.0% in 2021 among organizations in the top 15 largest economies in the world. While the overall A&E marketplace is relatively stable, most A&E professional liability carriers have reported an increase in severity of claims. Figure 1. The most cited reasons for the higher projections were: Resilience tempered with cautious optimism will be the 2022 mantra for employers, with most looking to increase salaries and provide bonuses for employees particularly for critical or high-performing talent. But increased salary budgets only make it more critical for organizations to have a clear strategy for awarding pay increases as effectively as possible, prioritizing critical employees and hot jobs, and differentiating for performance. End of main navigation menu. It also is smart to review pay changes for the overall population (not just the same population) because that shows the true growth in compensation spend as increases in starting salaries for new hires also are factored into that analysis. Finally, it will be more important than ever to educate both managers and employees on cost of living and inflation versus the cost of labor. Willis Towers Watson (WTW) reports that employers are planning an average salary increase for exempt employees of 4.1 percent, slightly up from last year's four percent. As economic challenges loom large in the U.S., a fifth of organizations (21%) that are changing salary increase budgets have said they will fund increased spending by offering compensation plans and benefit programs that their employees value most. Copyright 2023 WTW. If How fast should pay move to effectively attract and retain talent in this market? is the question, then perhaps salary budget trend data is not the best answer. All rights reserved. It will be interesting to observe whether these nations are, in fact, able to maintain these levels. WTWs December 2022 Salary Budget Planning (SBP) Report, Bombarded by questions about pay and inflation? High unemployment started to ease in the summer of 2020 and was back below 7% by the end of the year. Many large U.S. employers followed Amazons lead of paying hourly workers $15 per hour, even as Amazon announced that its average hourly wage would go up to $18 per hour. But, for now, it appears that the same Lets not be the first to significantly raise salary budgets mentality is at play for 2022 projections. The other phenomenon we saw in 2021 was a sharp increase in starting salaries for many jobs, but especially for frontline, hourly workers as the $15 per hour bandwagon took hold. Organizations in France, Russia, India and South Korea are all forecasting . While the optimism shown by different countries comes with hints of caution, 2022 will likely be a better year for salary increases. Manage North American compensation products to deliver and present database results, research trend analysis: End-to . Cant keep them. That projected wage growth is faster than actual raises paid in the prior . The survey was conducted in October and November 2021. With reliable market data that supports the critical and defensible decisions you must make. For compensation professionals, however, it means gathering salary budget projection data to report to senior leadership and solidifying how to apply salary increases for the coming year. 0 yrs. For instance, as a result of recognizing that labor shortages, and not inflation, are the primary driver of growing salary budgets, many employers are targeting certain segments such as hourly workers, digital talent and workers with in-demand skills to receive higher pay.". For those industries that were losers in the pandemic, going from a 1% or 2% salary budget back to 3% is a huge increase, even though it isnt telling that story in the overall salary budget data. Taking a holistic view will ensure your salary increase process is transparent and emphasizes the connection between salary increases and business performance. Merit increases in the General Industry entering and during the last three periods of U.S. economic downturn, Benefits Administration and Outsourcing Solutions, Executive Compensation and Board Advisory, Financial, Executive and Professional Risks (FINEX). . 56% of companies globally increased salaries. Winning the talent race will require employers to continue to be creative and comprehensive with their Total Rewards strategy, said Lesli Jennings, senior director, Work & Rewards, WTW. When asked why, responses spoke to the likelihood of sustaining the gains earned in 2020 and that conservatively managing fixed costs protects companies from having to take more drastic measures if high financial gains reversed in 2021 or beyond. But these actions dont happen simultaneously. U.S. companies plan to give employees larger raises next year as they recover from the economic fallout from the pandemic and face mounting challenges attracting and retaining employees, according to a new survey by Willis Towers Watson . Only Australia, India, Italy, United States and Brazil saw average increase budgets in 2021 above those in 2020. Mar 2015 - Present8 years 1 month. Copyright 2023 WTW. All rights reserved. Nearly three in four respondents (74%) cited the tight labor market for increasing their budgets from prior projections, while only one-third cited anticipated stronger financial results (34%) and inflation or the rising cost of supplies (31%). More than ever, making the most of your capital means solving a complex risk-and-return equation. Consider other important components of the employer-employee deal including: Your actions can range from improving the employee experience to placing a broad emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives or implementing greater workplace flexibility. Its easy to forget that several factors drive salary increase budgets and, as such, those factors should be viewed as one piece of a much larger pie. We would have faced a steady decline in available workers rather than the drastic layoffs and unemployment increases that we experienced in spring 2020. After establishing your increases budget based on market data intelligence, it is critical to align your priorities. Salary increases rarely match sudden increases in inflation, and the time horizon or duration of inflation or labor market shortages affects decisions in uncertain times. US respondents to Payscale's survey project an average exempt employee salary increase of 3.8 percent for 2023.