Earnings eaten up by inflation

Typical weekly earnings have failed to match the general increase in prices for the fifth year in succession -- and women's earnings dropped further behind those of men.

Official figures show that the April figure for median, or middle of the range, earnings was £517, up 2.2 per cent from last year.

But that was a slower rate of increase than inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index, or CPI, meaning that workers found that their pay didn't go so far.

The gap between male and female earnings increased to 10 per cent from 9.5 per cent last year. That's the first time it has widened since April 2008.

The figures come from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings from the Office for National Statistics.