According to new research, a large majority of UK jobs ads continue to omit information about salary. The government is considering introducing legal measures that would enforce transparency of pay in recruitment.
According to the research conducted by Resume.io (a resume builder), which examined more than 20,000 listings for 50 common job roles, only 39 percent of ads disclosed salaries. Over 60% of job vacancies are not disclosed, which makes it difficult for candidates to determine whether they will be able to meet their financial goals.
This study shows that some sectors are particularly secretive when it comes to pay. The least transparent are game developers, with less than 20% of job advertisements including salary information despite a salary average of PS55,000.
Orthodontists are another profession where salaries are not disclosed in many advertisements. HR professionals, journalists, economists, and even HR professionals do not disclose their pay.
Transparency is essential to tackling inequality
The research is timely, as the debate over pay transparency has grown in recent years. Many workers now place a high priority on financial security. Experts have expressed concern over the lack of information on pay in job advertisements. Simon Bocca, the CEO of PayCaptain payroll software, stressed the importance of having open pay data.
Bocca said that open salary data was vital to closing the gender wage gap and combating workplace inequality. When employers hide their pay, they maintain outdated biases that make it difficult for marginalised groups negotiate fair salaries.
Bocca also highlighted that secrecy about salaries leads to inefficiencies when it comes to recruitment. He said that candidates waste time by applying for jobs they don’t want, while employers are delayed in their efforts to filter out applicants who wouldn’t have applied if the salary was made clear up front.
The Government is considering mandatory salary disclosure
The UK government is currently reviewing proposals which would require employers include salary information in all job ads. This measure is part of an effort to create a more fair and transparent job market. According to research, 78 percent less job seekers will apply for a position if salary information is not provided.
Many employment experts and campaigners have drawn attention to the government’s review, arguing that salary transparency has been long overdue. Clearer information on pay could reduce pay gaps, and encourage fairer competition in the job market.
Data shows that although some employers have adopted more open practices, there hasn’t been a widespread shift. Many companies still consider pay details to be sensitive, even though openness has been proven to benefit both employee recruitment and retention.
Bocca said that pay transparency was no longer a “nice to have” but an essential element of creating a fair workplace. It encourages fair payment practices, increases trust between employees and employers, and reduces hiring waste.
