The calendar effect in annual pay growth
For August to October 2025, ONS reported regular-earnings growth of 7.6% in the public sector and 3.9% in the private sector. It explained that some public-sector increases were paid earlier in 2025 than in 2024. The resulting annual comparison therefore reflected timing as well as the underlying pay changes across those broad groups.
A growth-rate gap is not a statement that equivalent public roles pay a particular percentage more than private roles. The figures compare each sector with its own earlier earnings level. Our recruitment interpretation is to distinguish the level of a package from the rate at which an average changed, then explain any timing effect before using the data in a benchmark.
A growth gap is not a salary gap
Healthcare candidate conversations need role-specific details: the relevant basic salary or rate, hours, allowances and other approved terms. A person moving between settings may face different responsibilities and schedules, so broad sector averages cannot settle the comparison. Record what is confirmed and what still requires an authorised employer explanation rather than filling gaps with assumptions.
Client reports should identify the period and the timing caveat beside the figures. If a hiring manager wants a budget recommendation, provide comparable role evidence separately and describe its limitations. Pay-award interpretation, contractual questions and individual entitlements belong with the employer and its appropriate advisers, not with a recruiter extrapolating from an annual earnings-growth chart.
Compare the approved terms of the role
Key Med can support healthcare-focused research and recruitment administration by organising approved remuneration information and tracking candidate questions. Engagement support can ensure the same package is described consistently through the process. A support team can flag discrepancies for review, but should not determine pay entitlements, interpret collective arrangements or promise changes beyond the client’s authorisation.
Pilot a standard comparison sheet for one role family, keeping basic terms, variable elements and unresolved questions separate. Review it with the client before approaching candidates. This creates a clearer, more trustworthy conversation while avoiding claims that a temporary statistical gap guarantees an advantage, establishes a universal market rate or predicts acceptance of a particular offer.
The source material
- Labour market overview, UK: December 2025 ↗Office for National Statistics · 2025-12-16
Contains Office for National Statistics information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Retrospective briefing · Published 4 November 2026. Historical figures and measures describe their period; consult current official guidance before acting. This article provides operational context. Legal, immigration, clinical and financial decisions need the responsible organisation’s qualified advisers.
