Fewer than half of UK job adverts disclose salaries, according to latest research, while four in 10 jobseekers say they would refuse to apply without knowing what a role pays. As the Government plans to make salary disclosure compulsory, campaigners say the reforms could help tackle pay gaps and create a fairer recruitment process.
Fewer than half of UK job advertisements reveal what a role pays, according to research from job search platform Adzuna, highlighting the extent of salary secrecy as the Government prepares to make pay disclosure a legal requirement. Adzuna’s analysis found that just 41.57% of UK job adverts included salary information in June 2026, following even lower disclosure rates of 40.96% in both April and May. The platform said the three consecutive months represented the lowest levels recorded in more than a decade of tracking pay transparency.
More recent findings from CV-Library’s Candidate Behaviour Barometer 2026, published in October, revealed that 42% of job advertisements did not disclose salaries over the preceding 12 months. Crucially, 41% of jobseekers said they would refuse to apply for a role without salary information, up from 38% in 2025. The research also found that 66% of candidates regarded salary as the most important element of a job advert, while 95% considered pay information either essential or preferable when deciding whether to apply.
REFORMS TO MAKE RECRUITMENT FAIRER
Earlier research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) also highlighted limited transparency, finding that just 41% of employers always published salary ranges in external job adverts. The findings come as the UK Government announces plans to legally require employers to disclose salaries in job advertisements under its proposed Say What You Pay legislation.
The reforms are intended to make recruitment fairer, reduce wasted time for jobseekers and employers, and help tackle pay inequalities affecting women and other disadvantaged groups. However, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned that publishing salaries alone will not eliminate pay discrimination. It is calling for stronger enforcement, greater access to pay information and a ban on employers asking candidates about their previous earnings.
GOVERNMENT PLEDGES TO END SALARY SECRECY
The proposed legislation follows strong support for greater pay transparency. According to early analysis of the Government’s consultation, 94% of respondents backed mandatory salary disclosure, including 93% of participating businesses. The Government believes requiring employers to disclose salaries could help applicants make informed decisions, expose unjustified pay differences and give workers greater confidence to challenge discrimination.
“Whether you’re a young person starting out or a parent trying to support your family, you should know what a job pays before spending your time and effort applying for it. That’s why we will make it a legal requirement for all employers to say what you pay,” shared Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
The Government intends to introduce legislation as soon as possible, although details of implementation and enforcement have yet to be finalised. In the meantime, employers are being urged to disclose salaries voluntarily rather than wait for the law to change. Bridget Phillipson, Minister for Women and Equalities, welcomed the move, arguing that applicants should not have to enter an already daunting recruitment process without knowing what a position pays. “What a job pays is rightly at the forefront of people’s minds when looking for work – it shouldn’t be a guessing game.”
She said the proposals could help young people assess opportunities, support progress towards closing the gender pay gap and make recruitment more accessible for women returning to employment.
Mandatory salary disclosure could help level the recruitment playing field for jobseekers who have historically faced disadvantages in pay negotiations, access to employment or career progression. When employers withhold remuneration information, candidates with limited negotiating experience, fewer professional networks or little knowledge of market salaries can be at a disadvantage.
WHO COULD BENEFIT MOST FROM GREATER PAY TRANSPARENCY?
Publishing salaries upfront could reduce these information gaps and make recruitment fairer for several groups, including:
- Women: Clear salary information could reduce the risk of women accepting lower offers because they lack information about what employers are prepared to pay. It could also help identify unjustified differences in starting salaries and support progress towards closing the gender pay gap.
- Workers from ethnic minority and underrepresented groups: Transparent salary ranges could help candidates identify potentially inconsistent offers and give employees greater confidence to question discriminatory pay decisions, particularly where ethnicity-related inequalities already affect recruitment and progression.
- Women of colour: Greater transparency could help address overlapping gender and ethnicity-related disadvantages, reducing the risk that historical inequalities are carried into future employment.
- Parents, carers and people returning to work: Those returning after maternity leave, illness or caring responsibilities may be particularly vulnerable to lower offers based on outdated earnings. Publishing salary ranges could help ensure remuneration reflects the value of the role rather than an applicant’s employment history.
- Young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds: First-time jobseekers and candidates without professional networks may lack the experience or market knowledge needed to negotiate confidently. Upfront salary information would help them compare opportunities and make more informed decisions.
- Disabled workers: Greater salary transparency could help disabled applicants assess opportunities and identify potentially unfair remuneration, although accessible recruitment and reasonable adjustments remain essential.
- Older workers and career changers: Candidates returning to employment or entering a new industry could benefit from clearer salary information, particularly when their previous earnings do not reflect the responsibilities of a new position.
Although transparency cannot eliminate every form of pay inequality, it could help reduce the imbalance of information between employers and applicants and create greater accountability for remuneration decisions.
WHY SALARY TRANSPARENCY MATTERS FOR THE GENDER PAY GAP
One of the principal arguments for mandatory salary disclosure is its potential to reduce inequalities between people. Women can be disadvantaged when employers withhold remuneration information, particularly if they expect candidates to negotiate without knowing the salary offered to comparable applicants.
Penny East, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, which has long campaigned for greater pay transparency, welcomed the announcement: “For too long, salary secrecy has put women at a disadvantage, leaving them negotiating in the dark and making it much harder to challenge unfair and unequal pay.”
She described mandatory salary disclosure as an important step towards making recruitment fairer and addressing the gender pay gap. Earlier this year, TUC analysis revealed that women were effectively working without pay relative to men until late February because of Britain’s persistent gender pay gap.
More recent research also exposed a concerning generational divide in attitudes towards equal pay. A Fair Pay UK survey found that 34% of under-35s believed paying men more than women for the same or similar work could be reasonable, compared with just 14% of older respondents. Greater transparency could also help reduce the influence of subjective negotiations on starting salaries, particularly where applicants have experienced previous discrimination or career interruptions. The proposals reflect a wider international movement towards pay transparency, as reported.
ETHNICITY AND MOTHERHOOD CAN COMPOUND PAY INEQUALITIES
Greater salary transparency could also help address overlapping pay inequalities affecting women from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds. Research from the Fawcett Society, in its Double Trouble report, revealed how ethnicity-related earnings differences can compound gender pay inequalities. Drawing on historical ONS data, the research found that women of Bangladeshi heritage earned 28.4% less per hour than White British men, while women of Pakistani heritage earned 25.9% less and those of Mixed White and Black Caribbean heritage earned 25% less.
These figures relate to earlier earnings data rather than newly measured 2026 gaps, but demonstrate why an overall gender pay gap can conceal substantial inequalities affecting particular groups of women. For mothers of colour, the disadvantages can be compounded further by caring responsibilities and career interruptions.
The Fawcett Society’s Ethnicity Motherhood Pay Penalty research found that just 38% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi mothers were employed, compared with 55% of women from the same ethnic backgrounds overall. The study identified additional barriers involving childcare, flexible working, lower-paid employment and progression.
These findings reinforce why employers should avoid basing new salary offers on previous earnings, which may already reflect discrimination, career interruptions or restricted opportunities. Publishing salaries upfront could help prevent some historical inequalities from being carried into future roles, although wider action on recruitment, progression and flexible working will remain essential.
CALLS FOR BAN ON SALARY-HISTORY QUESTIONS
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) welcomes the Government’s proposals but warned that stronger measures will be needed to tackle pay discrimination effectively. In its response to the Government’s equal pay consultation, the regulator recommended prohibiting employers from asking candidates about their current or previous salaries or salary expectations during recruitment.
The EHRC argues that basing new offers on historical earnings can perpetuate discrimination, particularly where applicants have previously experienced unfair pay or barriers to career progression. Research published by the Fawcett Society in 2021 found that 58% of women and 54% of men believed being asked about previous earnings had resulted in them receiving lower salary offers than they might otherwise have received.
“Unequal and discriminatory pay can fuel inequalities and limit opportunities in many aspects of our lives. But the current equal pay system is too complex and is often difficult for people to navigate,” said Mary-Ann Stephenson, Chairwoman of the EHRC. “These reforms are an opportunity to make the system better for both workers and employers.”
She welcomed mandatory salary disclosure but argued that employers should also be prohibited from asking about salary history or expectations because doing so could perpetuate existing inequalities. The regulator believes that establishing salaries according to the value and responsibilities of a role, rather than a candidate’s previous earnings, would help create fairer recruitment practices.
STRONGER ENFORCEMENT AND ACCESS TO PAY INFORMATION
The EHRC also supports proposals to introduce a statutory pay questionnaire to help employees obtain information when they suspect unequal or discriminatory pay. However, the regulator believes employers should be legally required to respond, rather than leaving workers without the evidence needed to challenge possible inequalities. “The proposed statutory pay questionnaire will only make a difference if employers are required to respond,” stressed Stephenson. “Giving workers timely access to pay information could also help identify discrimination sooner and avoid legal action”
The EHRC has also welcomed proposals to establish an Equal Pay Regulation and Enforcement Unit to improve compliance with equal pay legislation. It believes its expertise in discrimination law makes it well placed to host the proposed unit but warns that additional funding will be essential. “As Britain’s equality regulator, we hold the expertise to regulate in this area. But any new regulatory unit within the EHRC must be adequately resourced to be effective,” added Stephenson. These measures remain proposals rather than existing legal requirements.
The regulator’s intervention highlights why publishing salaries is only one aspect of improving pay equality. Employees must also be able to understand remuneration decisions and challenge potential discrimination.
WHAT EMPLOYERS SHOULD DO NEXT
The proposed legislation offers an opportunity for employers to improve recruitment transparency and ensure salary decisions are fair, consistent and defensible. Recommendations include:
- Publish genuine salary ranges. Provide clear remuneration information in job advertisements and avoid vague descriptions such as “competitive salary”. The advertised salary ranges should reflect what you’re genuinely prepared to pay.
- Stop relying on previous earnings. Review recruitment processes and consider removing salary-history questions. Base starting offers on objective job requirements, relevant skills and established pay criteria.
- Review starting salaries and pay structures. Examine whether candidates undertaking comparable roles are receiving consistent offers, and investigate unjustified differences in pay.
- Audit gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps. Review remuneration and progression data, including overlapping characteristics where reliable information and privacy safeguards allow.
- Examine the impact of career breaks. Ensure maternity leave, caring responsibilities, disability-related absence or periods outside employment do not result in unfairly reduced salary offers.
- Introduce transparent pay and progression criteria. Establish clear salary bands, job evaluation processes and promotion requirements so employees understand how remuneration is decided.
- Respond constructively to pay concerns. Create accessible procedures for employees to request information and challenge potential inequalities. Train managers to explain pay decisions fairly and consistently.
- Measure the impact of transparency. Monitor whether publishing salaries leads to fairer starting offers, more equitable recruitment, narrower pay gaps and improved retention.
Employers need not wait for legislation before adopting more transparent recruitment practices.
WHAT EMPLOYEES AND JOBSEEKERS SHOULD DO
Although mandatory salary disclosure is not yet in force, applicants and employees can already take practical steps to make informed career decisions and challenge potentially discriminatory pay practices. This includes:
- Research salary benchmarks. Compare advertised remuneration for similar roles, taking account of responsibilities, qualifications, experience and location.
- Ask about pay before applying. If a vacancy does not disclose a salary, request the amount or range from the recruiter. Candidates do not need to wait for new legislation to ask for greater transparency.
- Negotiate based on the role’s value. Focus on relevant skills, experience and responsibilities rather than assuming previous earnings should determine future pay.
- Understand existing legal protections. The Equality Act 2010 protects workers against unlawful discrimination, including discrimination because of sex, race and disability. Its equal pay provisions specifically address sex-based differences in contractual pay and terms for equal work.
- Request explanations of pay decisions. Employees who suspect unequal pay can ask about salary structures, job evaluation and remuneration criteria. Acas provides guidance on asking employers questions about equal pay.
- Keep relevant evidence. Retain job advertisements, contracts, salary correspondence and explanations of pay decisions. Avoid accessing confidential colleagues’ records without authorisation.
- Seek independent advice if you suspect discrimination. Employees can approach HR, a trade union representative, Acas or an employment law specialist. Employment tribunal claims have strict deadlines, so seek advice promptly.
The proposed statutory pay questionnaire and mandatory salary disclosure rules are not yet in force. However, existing legal protections against discrimination remain in place.
TRANSPARENCY MUST LEAD TO FAIRER PAY
The proposed Say What You Pay legislation could mark an important shift in recruitment expectations, making salary disclosure a standard practice rather than something left to individual employers. Greater openness could help jobseekers compare opportunities, negotiate with greater confidence and avoid investing time in positions that do not meet their financial needs. It could also encourage employers to examine whether their remuneration structures are fair and whether historical inequalities are influencing recruitment decisions.
However, as the EHRC has warned, publishing salary information must be accompanied by meaningful access to pay information and effective mechanisms to challenge discrimination. For employers, the challenge is to move beyond disclosing figures towards ensuring those figures reflect fair and consistent decisions. For employees, greater transparency could help create a more balanced recruitment process and improve their ability to identify potentially unfair treatment.
The ultimate measure of success will not simply be how many employers publish salaries, but whether greater openness leads to fairer starting pay, narrower inequalities and more equitable career opportunities.
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