The figures are the latest sign that rising inflation is squeezing workers' standard of living, even though the recession has officially ended.
Average wage rises have increased by just 0.1 per cent to 1.9 per cent, according to a respected monthly survey from Incomes Data Services (IDS). The study compared the three month period to the end of February with the three month period to the end of March.
This average rise of 1.9 per cent is well below the rise in the cost of living, which hit 3.4 per cent during March according to the Consumer Prices Index, as the price of petrol jumped and food bills remained stubbornly high. This suggests that in real terms workers are, in effect, suffering from a pay cut.