Less than 40% of employees received a bonus last year, down from 44% in 2021. And in 2024, the average bonus payout was $1,786, down from $1,857 a year earlier, according to the study. That's not the only pay-related trend to watch in 2026. Pay transparency will also be a hot topic this year, said ADP Chief Talent Officer Jay Caldwell. In June, counties in the European Union will be required to comply with new pay transparency laws, mandating salary disclosures in job advertisements (much like many U.S. states).
New data from Indeed suggests the UK labour market will enter 2026 in a subdued state, with job postings 19 percent below their pre-pandemic level. This is an 8 percent year-on-year decline, though broadly unchanged since mid-April and up 4 percent over the past month. The analysis - covering job postings from 1 January to 21 November 2025 - also highlights the UK as an outlier, with postings in Europe and North America remaining above pre-pandemic levels.
She, like others, was daunted by new laws around pay transparency and the start of salary ranges being posted for open jobs-mandates that, she said, made her nauseous at first. But since ignoring the changes was not an option, she wanted her peers in HR to buck the decades-old trend of silence around salaries and prepare for a time when it would become part of business as usual.
"Clear, consistent communication and manager training are critical to transparency efforts. Without them, even well-intentioned strategies can fall short."
Ruth Thomas, the chief compensation strategist at Payscale, said that when companies use AI to analyze large amounts of compensation-related data, it can help promote pay transparency and provide HR teams with a tool for understanding new job markets.
