Video Summary: Earnings in the UK over the past 25 years

The key points are:

• the average full-time employee earned 62% more than in 1986 after taking into account price rises using the Consumer Prices Index,

• pay of the highest paid employees more than doubled in real terms since 1986,

• the lowest paid full-time employees had a higher than average real wage increase at 70%,

• since the economic downturn in 2008 wages have not kept up with price rises,

• wage inequality (ratio of highest to lowest earners) increased between 1986 and 1998 but fell after the introduction of the National Minimum Wage,

• London has the largest wage inequality across the regions,

• aircraft pilots and flight engineers were the highest paid occupations while waiters/waitresses and bar staff earned the least.

Source: Office for National Statistics

Background notes

1. Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available by visiting www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html or from the Media Relations Office email: media.relations@ons.gsi.gov.uk