Employees in offices to rent in Northampton could be some of those that have not been given a salary increase over the last six months.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) Employee Outlook: Focus on Pay survey of over 2,000 people found 58 per cent had not had a raise since January 2011, while six per cent have suffered a cut in their wages.
Workers in the north-east are the most likely to have undergone a pay freeze, with 75 per cent of respondents saying they have not had their salary boosted since the beginning of the year.
CIPD performance and reward advisor Charles Cotton noted legislation to heighten the minimum wage will be enacted in October, which will result in many private sector workers earning more money.
"Even those who are lucky enough to get an increase in their pay will find it below the current cost of living, compounding consumer belt tightening," he stated.
Workers with lower incomes are more likely to suffer from a lack of motivation, which damages their productivity, according to the Trades Union Congress.
