Government plans to require salaries in job adverts

The UK government wants to introduce a rule requiring employers to publish the salary in job adverts. Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the plan on 5 November 2026. The campaign is called "say what you pay".

Where the change stands

For now, this is only an announcement. According to the government's statement, legislation will be brought forward "as soon as possible", but no date for the rule to take effect has been given, and there are no details, such as whether a specific figure will be required or a pay range will be enough. Until the law changes, the Prime Minister is calling on all businesses to publish pay in job adverts now.

Why the government wants the change

Estimates cited by the government suggest that only 41% of employers always publish salary ranges. Only 18% always publish a specific salary.

The government argues that pay transparency will make it easier to look for work, especially for young people applying for the first time. It is also meant to help expose unjustified differences in pay. According to the statement, hiding pay forces women to negotiate "blind" and leaves them more exposed to lower offers. The government believes the rule will help narrow the gender pay gap.

The government points to a consultation in which, according to early analysis, 94% of respondents backed such a requirement, including 93% of businesses. Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson said that pay should not be a "guessing game". The change was welcomed by the Fawcett Society, which has long campaigned for pay transparency.

Wider context

The announcement is part of government efforts to help young people who are neither in education nor in work. According to the Youth Futures Foundation, this affects one in eight people aged 16 to 24. The government said further reforms will follow the final report of the Milburn Review, which is due within a few weeks.

The government also announced that Siemens Mobility will provide work experience for 10,000 young people over three years. The company is to offer more than 3,300 places a year. This is part of the government's target of 200,000 additional work experience placements for 14 to 16-year-olds.

What this means for you

Nothing changes for now, because the rule is not yet in force. Once it takes effect, people looking for work in the UK will be able to compare offers on pay before sending an application. It will also make it easier to judge whether a proposed salary is fair. Until then, some adverts may still not include pay information.