Average weekly earnings (AWE) including bonuses in the UK increased by 5.0% year-on-year to £733 per week in the three months to August 2025, up from an upwardly revised 4.8% in the previous period and above market expectations of 4.7%. This marked the fastest pace of pay growth since the three months to May, driven largely by slightly higher bonuses paid in August 2025 compared with a year earlier. Public sector pay growth strengthened to 5.8% from 5.1%, while private sector earnings rose by 4.8%, up from 4.7% in the prior period. After adjusting for inflation, real total earnings increased by 0.8%, edging up from 0.6% previously.
