Comment: Pay rises in 2009 show surprisingly wide range

Over the first six months of 2009, there has been a much wider range of pay increases than many had expected. In the earlier part of the year an urban myth emerged that all pay in the private sector was likely to be frozen this year. In fact this is far from true and a majority of private-sector companies have awarded rises – from 1 per cent to 4 per cent or more.