Average UK wages top pre-financial crisis levels

Wages finally end 12-year squeeze but zero-hour contracts at new high

Average real wages - which take account of the impact of inflation - have risen above their pre-financial crisis level for the first time as workers begin to repair the damage to their finances after a 12-year squeeze on living standards.

In a significant moment after a lost decade for British workers, the Office for National Statistics said average weekly earnings, excluding bonuses, have reached a fresh peak in real terms. This means pay packets adjusted for inflation are worth more than they were before the 2008 crisis - although only just.