Salary in Job Adverts to Become a Legal Requirement in the UK, Burnham Says

Salary in job adverts is set to become a legal requirement in the UK, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on 5 November 2026. Employers will have to disclose what they are willing to pay new hires, with legislation requiring salary details in job adverts expected to be brought forward. For jobseekers who have long applied blind, the change ends one of the most frustrating parts of the hunt: spending hours on an application without knowing whether the job pays enough to live on.

"Whether you're a young person starting out or a parent trying to support your family, you should know what a job pays before spending your time and effort applying for it," Burnham said. "That's why we will make it a legal requirement for all employers to say what you pay." The Prime Minister also called for businesses to open more doors and give young people the experience and confidence to take that first step into the world of work.

Salary in job adverts: what the plan would change

At present, many UK employers hide the pay. Research by the CIPD, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, previously found 41 per cent of employers always included salary information in their job adverts. Around 27 per cent of employers never included salary information, according to the 2023 survey of 832 decision-makers who have hiring responsibilities. The rest disclosed pay only sometimes, leaving applicants to guess.

The move has been welcomed by TUC general secretary Paul Nowak, who said: "Anyone who's searched for a job knows how frustrating it is to read 'competitive salary' instead of just saying how much they'll be paid. Why should a candidate be expected to go through a lengthy application and interview process without knowing whether the job will actually pay them enough to get by?" Nowak added that the Government "should also require employers to list flexible working options in every posting".

No date for the legislation has been announced, and no details have been given of how it would be enforced or whether small employers would face the same duty. The announcement is a commitment to legislate, not a law in force, so jobseekers should not expect every advert to carry a salary figure immediately.

Why the change matters for young workers and for women

The announcement lands against a difficult youth jobs market. Some 13 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training in April to June 2026. Earlier in 2026, between January and March, the number of young people in that position topped a million for the first time since 2013. A review into young people and work, carried out by former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn, is due to conclude later in November 2026.

Nishi Mayor, of the Youth Futures Foundation, said: "With one in eight 16 to 24-year-olds currently Neet, it is right and important that Government is consulting with employers to help make the path into work smoother for young people by removing barriers to entering the workplace. Providing clear information about pay can help young people make informed decisions about employment opportunities, which for employers could mean more applications from more suitable candidates, ensuring they have the talent pipeline they need."

The change is also framed as a step towards fairer pay for women. Penny East, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said: "For too long, salary secrecy has put women at a disadvantage, leaving them negotiating in the dark and making it much harder to challenge unfair and unequal pay. Requiring employers to publish salaries in job adverts is a significant step towards making work fairer for women and tackling the gender pay gap."

In the wider jobs market, the number of vacancies fell by an estimated 21,000, to 691,000, in the three months to September, data from the Office for National Statistics shows. Hospitality employers have pledged 100,000 paid jobs for 18 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training, as the UK hospitality youth jobs pledge shows, a sign that employers are being pressed to open doors while the Government tightens the rules on how jobs are advertised.

What this means for jobseekers, including Nepali applicants

For UK jobseekers, the practical effect is simple: when the law takes effect, an advert without a salary will be breaking the rules, and applicants will be able to compare offers honestly before applying. Until then, the CIPD figures are a useful guide: if an advert hides the pay, the employer is in the minority that never discloses it, and the applicant is entitled to ask for the salary range before investing time in the process.

The change also matters for Nepali workers looking at UK jobs. Salary transparency makes it easier to judge whether an offer is genuine and worth the move, and to compare it against the going rate for the role. UK roles that appear on Growentix, such as the AI reskilling roles employers are hiring for now, will be easier to assess once pay is stated up front.

How to apply, and what to do next

UK jobseekers should keep applying as normal while the legislation is prepared, but use the announcement now: ask for the salary range at the first contact, and treat a refusal to give any figure as a warning sign about the employer. Young applicants should also watch the Milburn review due later in November 2026, which may bring further changes for first-time jobseekers.

Nepali applicants for UK jobs must check that the employer holds a valid sponsor licence and that the role meets the visa rules before paying anything or travelling. No genuine UK employer asks a candidate to pay for a job offer or a visa sponsorship, and any message asking for money for a UK job should be treated as a scam. Apply through the employer's own careers page or the official UK government job service, and verify the salary against the published going rate for the role.

At a glance	Details
Announcement	Prime Minister Andy Burnham, 5 November 2026: salary details in job adverts to become a legal requirement for all employers
Legislation timing	Expected to be brought forward; no date announced
Employers always showing salary	41 per cent, CIPD 2023 survey of 832 hiring decision-makers
Employers never showing salary	27 per cent, same CIPD survey
Young people not in education, employment or training	13 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds, April to June 2026; topped one million January to March 2026, first time since 2013
UK vacancies	691,000 in the three months to September 2026, down 21,000, Office for National Statistics
Review due	Alan Milburn review into young people and work, due later in November 2026

Sources: The Independent, via syndication, at https://www.europesays.com/britain/160143/ on the announcement, the TUC response, the CIPD figures and the vacancy data; EconoTimes at https://econotimes.com/Andy-Burnham-Proposes-Youth-Support-Guarantee-as-Hospitality-Targets-100-000-Jobs-1755257 on the youth employment context.