NU Online News Service, Sept. 27, 2004, 2:40 p.m. EDT
The typical employee can expect to get a merit raise of about 3.5% in 2005.[@@]
Researchers at Hay Group Inc., Philadelphia, are making that forecast in an analysis based on data in the human resources consulting firm's compensation database. The database includes compensation information for 3 million employees at 1,700 employers.
Before 2001, merit raises averaged about 4%, but the average was only about 3.5% for general market employees this year, and the average probably will stay the same next year, Hay analysts predict.
In the insurance industry, raises averaged 3.5% this year and could increase to 3.6% in 2005, the analysts report.
The analysts note that, although the raises look low, they compare with a national Consumer Price Index inflation rate of just 3% for the 12-month period that ended July 31.
Thanks to efforts tie compensation more closely to company performance, bonuses seem to be increasing more rapidly than base salaries, Hay researchers report.
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