Reward in 2010: the top 10 issues

The impact of the recession in 2009 varied widely across the economy. The recession in manufacturing and construction was severe and there were widespread pay freezes. At the other end of the spectrum, though, sectors that were much less affected, such as energy supply, food retailing and pharmaceuticals, saw continued pay rises – as did, oddly, the finance sector. While around one-third of private-sector companies asked for pay freezes, largely to safeguard jobs, around two-thirds of firms awarded increases, with the bulk in the 2 to 3 per cent range. Overall, earnings growth for most people was very modest. So what is the outlook for 2010?