• Willis Towers Watson forecast 2027 US salary increase budgets at 3.4%, little changed from 2026’s 3.5% outturn.
• Cost control pressures, a tighter labor market, inflation concerns kept pay planning cautious; nearly 60% reported no gap between planned, actual 2025 budgets.
• Employers shifted toward targeted, performance-led pay; 33% already changing compensation programs, 15% planning changes.
• Retention stayed steady with 69% of employees remaining; only 22% of companies added headcount, signaling limited hiring-led growth.
• Firms leaned on higher hiring ranges, retention bonuses, higher starting pay to secure key talent as budgets stayed in the “3%” range.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Willis Towers Watson plc published the original content used to generate this news brief via GlobeNewswire (Ref. ID: 202607150900PRIMZONEFULLFEED9762615) on July 15, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.