Core Insights - US salary budgets for 2026 are projected to remain stable at 3.4%, consistent with the actual increase for 2025, due to regulated inflation expectations allowing for proactive planning [1][3] Salary Budget Trends - Nearly two-thirds of employers (62%) have not altered their projected pay budgets since mid-2025, while 6% are increasing budgets and 21% are decreasing them [3] - Factors influencing budget changes include cost management concerns (36%), anticipated recession or weak financial results (36%), tight labor market (32%), and inflationary pressures (25%) [3] Strategic Compensation Approaches - The traditional method of distributing budgets evenly among employees is shifting towards a more strategic allocation, rewarding those who enhance skills and contribute to financial outcomes [4] - Organizations are focusing on aligning rewards with outcomes, indicating a trend that is expected to continue beyond 2026 [4] Workforce Planning and Governance - There is a notable improvement in governance around pay decisions, with organizations utilizing market data and segmentation more effectively, while also focusing on affordability and internal equity [5] - One-quarter (24%) of organizations report challenges in attracting or retaining employees [5] Employee Retention Strategies - Staff voluntary turnover rates have decreased to 10.1%, with companies prioritizing budget allocation towards retaining critical talent and addressing pay compression [6] - Actions taken for staff retention include enhancing employee experience (50%), increasing training opportunities (43%), modifying health and wellness benefits (42%), providing greater workplace flexibility (35%), and adjusting compensation programs (32%) [6] Labor Market Dynamics - The labor market is experiencing a balance where demand for labor is lower than in previous years, while labor supply shortages persist, leading to expected stability in salary increase budgets [7] Survey Details - The Salary Budget Planning Report was compiled by WTW's Rewards Data Intelligence practice, with approximately 36,960 responses from companies across 156 countries, including 1,876 from the US [8]

Core Insights - Average salary increase budgets for US companies in 2026 are expected to remain stable at 3.5%, matching the actual increases of 2025 [1] - Organizations are becoming more strategic in their pay allocation and investment focus, aiming to align with broader business goals despite economic uncertainty [3] Salary Budget Changes - Three out of five organizations experienced changes in their salary budgets during the last pay cycle, with 53% reporting no difference between anticipated and actual budgets for 2025 [2] - Among organizations projecting lower salary increases, 51% cited anticipated recession or weaker financial results, while 45% mentioned cost management concerns [2] - Tight labor markets (59%) and inflationary pressures (30%) were the main reasons for those projecting higher salary budgets [2] Employee Retention and Stability - Employee stability has improved, with less than one-third (30%) of organizations reporting challenges in attracting or retaining employees, a decrease of 11 percentage points since 2023 [4] - Organizations are taking actions to enhance employee experience, health and wellness benefits, and training opportunities in response to low turnover and concerns about burnout [5] Compensation Adjustments - Employers are adjusting compensation programs to address competitive labor markets and inflation, with 50% conducting a compensation review of all employees and 48% reviewing specific employee groups [6] - Over 40% of organizations have enhanced their use of retention bonuses or spot awards, and 37% have targeted base salary increases for specific employee groups [6] Payroll Expenses - The average annual payroll expense has increased by nearly 4% (3.6%), with 70% of organizations reporting higher total annual payroll expenses compared to the previous year [7] Strategic Investments - Employers are making investments beyond pay raises, focusing on career development, wellbeing, flexibility, and equity to enhance performance, retention, and resilience in a changing market [8] Survey Details - The Salary Budget Planning Report was compiled by WTW's Rewards Data Intelligence practice, with approximately 29,128 responses from companies across 157 countries, including 1,569 from the U.S. [9]