Average British wages are rising as number of job vacancies soar — raising hopes wages can catch inflation

WAGES are showing signs of a revival, raising hopes they can catch inflation, a new upbeat jobs report says.

Average salaries advertised on jobs site ADZUNA have risen 1.6 per cent in the past six months.

If this pace continues, salaries will grow 3.2 per cent over the year, faster than the latest official rate of inflation.

Pay packets were also 0.2 per cent fatter last month compared with April, Adzuna’s jobs report said.

Wales, Eastern England and Northern Ireland was where wages were picking up the most.

Pay growth is welcome for struggling workers.

Last month, inflation ticked up to 2.9 per cent, its highest level in four years, with fears it will rise even further this year.

Government figures, also out in May, showed average weekly earnings were lagging behind inflation, rising just 2.1 per cent year on year in the first three months of 2017.

Doug Monro, co-founder of Adzuna, which is used by 10million jobseekers a month, said: “The fact that salary growth is making progress on a month-on-month basis as well over a six-month period, shows the gap between wage growth and inflation may, slowly but surely, be closing.

“Although wage growth is nowhere near the desired pace, salaries are well and truly on the up.

“Brexit negotiations will take some time as plans to strike the best possible deal remain up in the air but it is encouraging to see the Government stressing how jobs and living standards must come first during Philip ­Hammond’s recent speech at Mansion House.

“A strong labour market in the UK is the backbone to a productive and resilient post-Brexit economy.”

Mr Monro added vacancies were also on the increase, rising 2.1 per cent year on year, to 1.17million in May.

It comes as unemployment in the UK is at a 40-year low.

Northern towns, such as ­Warrington, were helping to drive this, with more than seven positions advertised for every job seeker.

By contrast, Sunderland was the worst place to find a job, with 2.79 workers fighting it out for each vacancy.

Separately, a survey by accountancy giant DELOITTE found more than 1million ­foreign workers were ready to quit Britain.

It found 36 per cent of non-British workers were thinking of leaving by 2022.