Basic pay rates to stay frozen at SMEs

AVERAGE pay levels among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are likely to remain frozen into next year, according to a study carried out by the Small Firms Association (SFA).

Their latest quarterly pay survey — published this morning — shows more than three-quarters of firms have frozen basic pay rates this year, with nearly 70% set to keep up that trend next year.

SFA director Patricia Callan said: “Jobs must be the top priority — both the maintenance of existing ones and the creation of new ones. It is better to have more people at work on reasonable pay, than hundreds of thousands on the Live Register.