Andy Burnham will now force bosses to declare salaries on job advertisements

Andy Burnham has said employers will have to state how much they are prepared to pay new hires.

Legislation is expected to be brought forward, requiring employers to include salary information in their job adverts.

Research by the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) has previously found 41 per cent of employers always included salary information in their job adverts.

A 2023 survey of 832 decision-makers with hiring responsibilities found that around 27 per cent of employers never included salary information.

The Prime Minister said: "Whether you’re a young person starting out or a parent trying to support your family, you should know what a job pays before spending your time and effort applying for it.

"That’s why we will make it a legal requirement for all employers to say what you pay."

Mr Burnham also called for "businesses to open more doors and give young people the experience and confidence to take that first step into the world of work".

Labour ministers have faced criticism for their handling of the jobs market, with 13 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (Neet) in April to June this year.

Earlier in the year, between January and March, the number of Neets aged 16-24 topped a million for the first time since 2013.

A review into young people and work, carried out by former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn, is due to conclude later this month.

In the wider jobs market, the number of vacancies fell by an estimated 21,000, to 691,000, in the three months to September, data from the Office for National Statistics show.

After last week’s Budget, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said: "Jobs have been destroyed by Labour".

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Mrs Badenoch told the Commons that "businesses need cheaper energy, flexible labour markets and lower taxes; they are getting none of those".

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey claimed "a lack of economic growth" was behind "the cost-of-living crisis, higher taxes, broken public services, empty high streets, the lack of jobs and opportunity".

He said: "British business is being held back, and it’s been held back above all by the terrible damage of the Conservative Brexit deal.”

The move to require employers to include salary information in job adverts has been welcomed by TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak, who said: "Anyone who’s searched for a job knows how frustrating it is to read ‘competitive salary’ instead of just saying how much they’ll be paid."

The union chief continued: "Why should a candidate be expected to go through a lengthy application and interview process without knowing whether the job will actually pay them enough to get by?

"It’s absolutely right that the Government clamp down on this disrespectful practice.

"Employers should be up front with potential recruits and clearly state how much a role will be paid."

Mr Nowak added Labour "should also require employers to list flexible working options in every posting".

Nishi Mayor, of the Youth Futures Foundation, said: "With one in eight 16 to 24-year-olds currently Neet, it is right and important that Government is consulting with employers to help make the path into work smoother for young people by removing barriers to entering the workplace.

"We know from our work trialling real-world practices around recruiting and retaining young people with trailblazing employers that too many young people struggle to access opportunities when they are looking for jobs.

"Providing clear information about pay can help young people make informed decisions about employment opportunities, which for employers could mean more applications from more suitable candidates, ensuring they have the talent pipeline they need."

Penny East, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said: "For too long, salary secrecy has put women at a disadvantage, leaving them negotiating in the dark and making it much harder to challenge unfair and unequal pay.

"Requiring employers to publish salaries in job adverts is a significant step towards making work fairer for women and tackling the gender pay gap."

New York became the largest US city to require most private employers to disclose salary ranges in 2022.

The European Union adopted pay transparency rules the following year, giving member states until June 2026 to implement them in national law.