UK government plans to require pay information in job adverts

On 5 November 2026 the UK government announced plans to make pay information in job adverts a legal requirement for employers. The law has not been passed and is not in force. The government says it will bring forward legislation as soon as possible, but has given no commencement date. Territorial scope, the exact form of pay information required and enforcement details will be set out later.

What is known

A CIPD study published in 2024 found that 41% of surveyed employers always shared salary ranges in external job adverts, while 18% always shared specific salaries in internal job adverts. These figures describe surveyed employers, not the share of vacancies, and do not measure the position in November 2026. The Prime Minister has called on employers to start stating pay in adverts voluntarily now.

What employers can do

If you recruit staff, check that any stated salary or range matches the approved budget and review how pay appears in your adverts. You can provide clear pay figures voluntarily now. Do not treat this announcement as an existing legal duty or design procedures around assumptions about the future format: the government has not yet published the Bill, a start date or any exemptions. Follow the official announcement and subsequent legislation.

What jobseekers should know

For now, an advert without pay information does not breach the proposed new requirement. If pay is omitted, ask the employer for the range and payment terms before an interview. The government's plan is intended to help both first-time and other jobseekers, but the final rules still have to be made.

Official source: UK government announcement, 5 November 2026; CIPD research.