2006 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

PAY DATA

2006 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

Government figures released today show that median weekly pay for full-time employees in the UK grew by 3.7% in the year to April 2006 to reach £447.

Other key results from the 2006 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings include:

  • The median earnings of full-time male employees was £487 per week in April 2006; for women the median was £387.
  • The top 10% of the earnings distribution earned more than £886 per week, while the bottom 10% earned less than £244.
  • Between April 2005 and 2006 the distribution of gross weekly pay widened, with a 3.7% increase at the bottom decile, and a 4.2% increase at the top decile.
  • Median full-time weekly earnings in London were £572, significantly higher than in other regions, where they ranged from £399 in the North East to £470 in the South East.
  • The occupations with the highest earnings in 2006 were health professionals, (median pay of full-time employees of £1,038 a week), followed by corporate managers (£688) and science and technology professionals (£662).
  • The lowest paid of all full-time employees were sales occupations, at £259 a week.
  • The monetary difference between the median level of full-time earnings in the public sector (£488 per week in April 2006) and the private sector (£430) has narrowed over the year to April 2006, following annual increases of 2.5% and 4.5% respectively.

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The government’s Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings is based on a 1% sample of employees in United Kingdom and in 2006 information was collected for the pay period that included 26 April. Pay refers to gross pay (before tax) of full-time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey week was unaffected by absence. Annual and weekly earnings include paid overtime.

ASHE provides information about the levels, distribution and make-up of earnings and hours paid for employees in all industries and occupations. The ASHE is a new survey developed to replace the New Earnings Survey (NES) from 2004. To find out more visit the National Statistics web site at www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=14630