The UK continues to lead Europe’s largest labour markets on salary transparency despite a recent fall in the number of job adverts disclosing pay.
Around 56 percent of UK job postings now include salary information, ahead of the Netherlands, France and Ireland, according to new data from job platform Indeed.
The figures, from jobs site Indeed, come weeks before European Union countries face a June 2026 deadline to introduce stronger pay transparency rules aimed at improving openness in recruitment and reducing hidden pay disparities.
Despite remaining ahead of neighbouring countries, the UK has seen disclosure rates fall from almost two thirds of job adverts to just over half, raising concerns that progress may be slowing.
European economies struggle to meet transparency deadline
Several major European economies remain far from ready to fully implement the new transparency requirements.
Germany includes salary details in just 12 percent of job postings, while Spain stands at 17 percent. France has yet to finalise legislation and the Netherlands has delayed implementation until 2027.
Italy and Ireland have proposed tougher measures requiring salary details to appear directly in job adverts rather than being disclosed later in the recruitment process.
The data suggested salary disclosure levels have changed little across much of Europe over the past year, with Italy recording one of the few significant increases.
Exact pay figures remain uncommon
Even where employers disclose pay, most continue to publish salary ranges rather than fixed figures. Hourly paid roles were found to offer the clearest information, with narrower ranges and a greater likelihood of exact figures being included.
The UK recorded the highest level of exact salary disclosure among transparent postings, with 32 percent listing a fixed amount. Spain and France followed at 24 percent.
Italian and Dutch employers were among the least likely to provide exact salary figures.
Survey data included in the report showed strong support among workers and jobseekers for greater salary transparency. Between 61 percent and 82 percent of respondents across the surveyed countries said they were more likely to apply for a role if salary information was included.
Support was higher among women than men, reflecting growing expectations around openness and fairness in recruitment. The findings suggest salary disclosure is becoming an increasingly important factor in attracting candidates, particularly as transparency rules tighten across Europe.
UK employers warned not to lose momentum
Lisa Feist, an economist at Indeed, said the UK remained ahead of most major European labour markets on pay transparency but warned that recent declines show progress could easily stall.
“While the UK continues to lead Europe’s largest job markets in salary transparency, with over half of postings now including pay information, the recent decline from almost two-thirds signals that progress cannot be taken for granted.”
She said UK employers might increasingly face comparison with higher disclosure standards elsewhere in Europe despite not being directly subject to the European Union directive.
“As neighbouring European markets move towards mandatory pay transparency under the EU directive, UK employers may increasingly find themselves benchmarked against higher-disclosure standards, even without being directly subject to the legislation.”
Feist said people were responding positively to clearer salary information in job adverts. “Jobseeker demand is already strongly aligned with this direction of travel, with the majority stating they are more likely to apply when salaries are included.”
She added that employers adopting stronger disclosure practices may improve trust and recruitment outcomes. “Those who act now can strengthen trust with candidates, improve application quality, and future-proof their hiring strategies.”
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He is a prolific author and contributor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional, with over 127 published posts covering HR, employee engagement, and workplace wellbeing topics. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers, and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
