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Burnham proposes legally requiring employers to include pay in job adverts
Andy Burnham said employers will be required by law to state pay in job adverts, so applicants can judge whether a role suits them before applying. The proposal comes amid concern about young people’s access to work and a falling number of vacancies.
A 2023 CIPD survey found 41 per cent of employers always listed salaries, while 27 per cent never did. Some 13 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds were not in education, employment or training between April and June, and vacancies fell by 21,000 to 691,000 in the three months to September. Union and youth employment representatives welcomed clearer pay information; the TUC also called for adverts to state flexible working options.
In short
- Employers would have to list pay in job adverts.
- 27 per cent never listed salaries in a 2023 survey.
- Youth unemployment concerns form part of the wider debate.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Requiring salary details in adverts would let applicants assess whether a job meets their needs before spending time applying, and could make recruitment more transparent. Supporters argue this is especially useful for young people entering a difficult job market, and that stating flexible working options could help candidates judge the whole offer.
The case against
Employers may argue that a legal requirement adds compliance work and can be difficult where pay varies with experience, location or negotiation. They may also prefer to discuss salary after learning more about a candidate or the role, and worry that publishing a figure could constrain recruitment or expose pay differences without showing the wider benefits on offer.
Explained simply
Andy Burnham is the Mayor of Greater Manchester, a regional elected leader. Job adverts can give applicants a sense of the work and the skills required, but employers do not always say what the role pays.
Pay information helps people decide whether a job fits their needs before applying. The issue sits alongside wider concerns about young people finding work and the number of vacancies available. Unions and youth employment groups have also argued that adverts should make working arrangements clearer.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Employers will be forced to say how much new jobs will pay when they advertise them, Andy Burnham says”.