Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicated that the rate of wage growth was slowing, with the average worker receiving an annual rise of just 2.2 per cent in the three months to January, down from 2.3 per cent in the previous three months.
The average worker received a weekly salary of £432, before any bonuses, in January.
This wage increase is less than half the level of inflation, which measured by the Retail Prices Index is running at 5.1 per cent.
This implies that the average worker is being hit by a 2.9 per cent cut in wages in real terms, the equivalent of a £651 being wiped off the purchasing power of their annual income.

Retailers, from Primark and John Lewis to pubs and coffee shops, have all reported that shoppers have markedly started cutting back on what they are buying, amid fears they could no longer afford to pay all their bills. Asda, the supermarket, has said there has been a “mindset shift” among consumers since the beginning of the year.

Maybe you guys need to change your employers...

Very droll.

Not surprising really when it is government policy to send us all to the poor house to become more competitive internationally and to benefit their multinational masters.

Asda, the supermarket, has said there has been a “mindset shift” among consumers since the beginning of the year.

As it's staff review time at work, and because I quoted the RPI in mine today, I'm going to wade on in here and question something again about this whole "the government are evil" thing being touted about...
Ok fine, we can suspect them of that (I guess) but wouldn't reports like:
Mean that if we stop spending, commercial giants from overseas will think twice about the UK - reduce their development/etc - and so negate the first suspicion - as surely the government would want to continue to foster such relationships?

"Further rises in world commodity and energy prices cannot be ruled out," he said in his speech.

"Attempts to resist their implications for real take-home pay by pushing up wages would require a response [from the Bank's monetary policy committee]."