2023 Set to See Largest Salary Increases in Over 20 Years
The Conference Board uses cookies to improve our website, enhance your experience, and deliver relevant messages and offers about our products. Detailed information on the use of cookies on this site is provided in our cookie policy. For more information on how The Conference Board collects and uses personal data, please visit our privacy policy. By continuing to use this Site or by clicking "OK", you consent to the use of cookies. 

Navigating the Economic Storm

Your Indispensable Guide Through Recession

2023 Set to See Largest Salary Increases in Over 20 Years

October 06, 2022 | Brief

According to The Conference Board US Salary Increase Budget Survey 2022–2023, US companies are budgeting 4.3 percent of their total payroll spending on salary increases in 2023.

If that figure holds, it will represent the sharpest year-over-year (nominal) increase in what businesses are allocating to pay US workers since 2001—and an acceleration of upward wage trends even as fears of a looming recession spread. Indeed, last year’s survey of compensation executives predicted 2022 salary increase budgets would average a robust 3.6 percent of payroll. Thus far, they’ve hit 4.1 percent.

In short, we’re not in the 2010s anymore. Across that decade of Great Recession and gradual recovery, salary increase budgets barely exceeded 3 percent of total payroll. By contrast, the current postpandemic US jobs boom and severe labor shortages have pushed wages and salary increase budgets higher.

Read the full report for lessons for the year ahead—one that will demand strategic planning that prioritizes what’s needed to compete in a tight talent market while also carefully managing resources amid economic uncertainty.


More From This Series

Publications


Webcasts, Podcasts and Videos

Window on China: Outlook for 2024

January 25, 2024 09:00 AM CET (Brussels), 04:00 PM SGT (Singapore)

The Future of Trade Disruptions

January 24, 2024 12:00 PM ET (New York)

China's evolving data security regulatory framework

September 14, 2023 03:00 AM ET (New York), 09:00 AM CET (Brussels), 03:00 PM SGT (Singapore)


Press Releases / In the News

hubCircleImage