UK pay growth rises to 3.1%, the highest in almost a decade

Competition for workers helps push up wages, as unemployment stays at 4%Increased competition for workers has pushed the government’s preferred measure of pay through the 3% barrier and to its highest level since the UK was deep in recession a decade ago.The latest health check on the labour market from the Office for National Statistics showed that regular pay – which excludes bonuses – was 3.1% higher in the three months ending in August than in the same quarter a year earlie