Pay Raise Forecast for 2027 Delivers Underwhelming News to Workers

Workers will likely find it hard to make ends meet again in 2027 because companies are planning to hold the line on pay raises for a fourth straight year, a recent survey shows. On average, employers plan salary increases of 3.2% based on merit and total salary increases of 3.5% in 2027, according to the Mercer QuickPulse US Compensation Planning Survey of 1,001 U.S. organizations.