Nursery World - Pay up!

The growth in nursery provision and its attendant recruitment crisis has forced up wages for nursery nurses, a new survey shows. But it's still low pay, says Ruth Thomson Desperate nursery owners resorted to hefty pay rises last year in a bid to recruit and retain staff, according to a new survey. While many of the nurseries surveyed awarded pay rises of 3 to 5 per cent, some nursery staff enjoyed an 8 to 12 per cent hike in their annual salary.

Desperate nursery owners resorted to hefty pay rises last year in a bid to recruit and retain staff, according to a new survey. While many of the nurseries surveyed awarded pay rises of 3 to 5 per cent, some nursery staff enjoyed an 8 to 12 per cent hike in their annual salary.

The rises, revealed in Pay for nursery nurses, an Income Data Services' survey published last month, were almost all higher than awards across the economy, which averaged 2.5 to 3.5 per cent.

Some of the highest rises, notes the report, were 'in response to recruitment and retention pressures', a problem faced by two-thirds of the 42 stand-alone nurseries and 12 nursery chains (with 180 nurseries) taking part in the survey.

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