Bosses will be forced to include salary on job adverts in new 'say what you pay' law

Employers will be made to state how much they are prepared to pay new hires under new government plans. Bosses will be required to include salary information to make it more fair for employees "spending time and effort" applying for jobs. Previous institute of Personnel and Development research found that 41% of employers always included salary information in their job adverts. Andy Burnham will bring forward the legalisation, and 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.

Read more: Burnham wants progress on Chagos Islands deal by the end of year amid stalemate with the US Read more: Policing needs urgent reform including reducing number of forces, Met chief to warn "That’s why we will make it a legal requirement for all employers to say what you pay." 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% 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 shows. After last week’s Budget, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch claimed “jobs have been destroyed by Labour". She told the Commons that "businesses need cheaper energy, flexible labour markets and lower taxes – they are getting none of those”. The move to make employers include salary information in their job adverts has been welcomed by TUC general secretary Paul Nowak.

He 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. "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 the Government "should also require employers to list flexible working options in every posting".