UK average earnings rose by 5.2% in the three months to October, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals.
Wages including and excluding bonuses were up 0.3% from 4.9% from the three months before.
Annual average earnings were up 4.4% from the year before, the ONS said.
The latest data means wages in the three months to October were outstripping inflation, which currently sits at 2.3%.
It comes after UK companies started cutting jobs at the fastest rate in almost four years following the Government’s Budget.
The ONS said total average weekly pay for workers in October was £706 and £656 for regular earnings.
Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at the ONS, said: “After slowing steadily over a year, growth in pay excluding bonuses increased slightly in the latest period, driven by stronger growth in private sector pay.
“Pay growth including bonuses increased by more, but this reflects previous figures being affected by the one-off payments made to some public sector employees.”
Separate data published by the ONS today also reveals the number of payrolled employees rose by 0.3% between November 2023 and November this year.
The 0.3% hike means there are an additional 76,000 people working.
The rise was highest in the health and social work sector, where 150,000 staff were added to payrolls.
It was lowest in the accommodation and food services sector, which decreased by 77,000 workers.
The number of job vacancies across the UK was 818,000 between September and November, a fall of 31,000, or 3.7% from the previous three months.
Liz McKeown, from the ONS, added: “The number of people on payrolls grew slightly in October, but we have seen annual growth rates continue to slow, showing a consistent trend with out latest jobs data from employers.
“The number of job vacancies has also fallen again, thought the total remains a little above where it was before the pandemic.”
