About 37 per cent of business managers across the country are dealing with tighter budgets this year and will struggle to introduce pay rises, according to a new survey.
It comes as 68 per cent of managers say they would like to give a pay increase to their staff, according to Robert Walters’ Salary Survey, but many will not be in a position to do so. The survey of 1,500 professionals and 500 employers shows 63 per cent of staff were expecting a pay rise in 2025.
“Managers are caught in a tough spot – they recognise and want to reward their teams’ hard work, but tight budgets are tying their hands,” said Suzanne Feeney, country manager of Robert Walters Ireland.
A further 46 per cent of managers said end-of-year bonuses were unlikely; however, this would depend on the performance of the business this year. The data showed 43 per cent of professionals believed they would receive a bonus.
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The majority of professionals asked, 65 per cent, said they were looking at the jobs market for a new role, the data said.
Looking to the new year, Irish workers said employers could do better when it comes to transparency, as well as involving employees in decision-making, standing at 42 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively.
Some 48 per cent of Irish workers would consider staying in a lower-paid role if it offered more flexibility, the survey said.
Professionals would consider a job offer if they were offered alternative forms of financial benefits to monetary bonuses. These include personal development funding (52 per cent), discounted or free gym membership (39 per cent) or wellbeing programmes (31 per cent), according to the Employee Benefits Guide, published by Robert Walters in January 2025.
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