Business are doing their best to help employees through the recession as nearly a third of workers have been handed a pay rise of at least three percent.

A survey from Income Data Services found 30 percent of employees had been given a pay rise of between three and four percent. However, 20 percent of workers have had to face a pay freeze this year.

Pay rises in 2009 have risen above the financial problems companies are facing with the average settlement being around three percent. Companies that were seen to be giving significant rises were BAE Systems Submarines, First ScotRail, Waitrose and the former HBOS. Most of the freezes that did occur were seen in chemical engineering and manufacturing.

To counteract unrest felt by lower paid employees, many companies have frozen the wages of more senior and well paid staff.