As 2026 salary budgets remain flat, how employers are ‘rethinking’ value propositions

With cost containment a looming influence, new research finds that when it comes to salary increase budgets for 2026, few organizations are planning any big changes.

WTW’s most recent Salary Budget Planning Report uncovered that the average salary increase budgets for U.S. companies are expected to remain flat next year at 3.5%, the same as the actual budgets of 2025. READ MORE