Pay freeze: Which age groups have been most affected?

We haven’t been able to find the original research quoted, but yesterday’s Telegraph reported here that those aged 45 and over are most likely to have seen their pay frozen during the economic downturn.

The article cites a study by the financial group MetLife UK as the source of this information. Claire Oldstein, advertising and marketing director of Metlife Uk, is quoted as saying: “Pay freezes are a regrettable reality for many employees and will have an influence on preserving for retirement, notably for older workers.”

Apparently, the MetLife study found that overall 26% of respondents had not received a pay rise in the last 3 years. Interesting, the (corresponding?) figure of 18% of all workers was given in this piece on the Employee Benefits website when reporting the same MetLife study. Which is why it would have been useful to have been able to find the original research…

However, both articles report that the percentage of those with frozen pay is higher for those aged 45 to 54 (34%) and those over 55 (33%) than for younger age groups.