By Denis Sheehan MIH
Hospitality and catering employees in the UK are receiving above average pay rises, according to the latest Hospitality Hiring Insider report from Caterer.com, which shows the highest pay rises are being seen across London, the North West and those working in pubs.
The latest research from the specialist hospitality hiring platform shows UK hospitality employees received an average pay rise of 9.5% over the past year. In comparison, the national average sits at 6.6% according to Office of National Statistics data (ONS), which found that private employees experienced a pay rise of 6.9% and public sector employees 5.3%.
A record number of hospitality jobs on Caterer.com are also offering a salary of more than £50K, with over 1,700 currently listed.
Variation across the sector
Regionally, hospitality employees in Greater London received the highest pay rises over the past year compared with any other region of the UK at 11.5%, closely followed by those in the North West at 11.2%.
Pub employees received the highest pay rises compared with any other area of the hospitality sector at 11.3%, which increases to 11.8% for those in entry level roles, compared with 10.8% for those in senior and experienced roles. Employees working in entry level roles within bars received some of the highest pay rises at 11.6%.
Talent retention
Despite the sector facing an ongoing skills shortage, recent Caterer.com research showed the number of UK employees seeking jobs in the hospitality sector had surged, with thousands of people looking to pubs, restaurants, and hotels for new and/or additional income.
With retaining this new influx of UK workers, a top priority for employers, 37.2% have focused on improving company culture to support employees, over a third (33.6%) have provided more progression opportunities and 32.4% are offering competitive training, development and learning opportunities.
29.2% of UK hospitality employers are also focusing on offering competitive rewards and benefits to help remain attractive to top talent, including pensions (47.2%), competitive annual leave (43.8%) and bonuses (43.8%).
When it comes to what rewards and benefits hospitality employees would like their employers to offer, that they are not already, the top benefits cited by employees are bonuses (21.3%), mental health and wellbeing days (19.3%), and health insurance (17.8%).
Kathy Dyball, Director at Caterer.com, comments: “As the long-standing skills shortage continues to impact the sector, hospitality employers are focused on offering competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain the people they need. Despite the ongoing cost of living crisis and other challenges faced by hospitality employers, such as rising energy costs and inflation, the industry understands the value of its people, and has ramped up efforts to provide appealing and rewarding opportunities for employees. Our insights show that hospitality employees are now receiving pay rises well above the UK average worker, amongst other competitive benefits.”
The full Caterer.com Hospitality Hiring Insider can be found here.
Hospitality & Catering Jobs, in association with Caterer.com
