{
  "id": 226897,
  "title": "Over a third of employers handed out ‘peanut butter raises’ this year—now, a quarter of bosses admit they’re losing top talent because of bad pay",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/over-a-third-of-employers-handed-out-peanut-butter-raises-this-year",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-06T15:17:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/08/06/over-a-third-employers-handed-out-peanut-butter-raises-2026-quarter-of-bosses-admit-losing-top-talent-bad-pay/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Payscale report reveals that over a third of U.S. employers have adopted \"peanut butter raises\" - standardized, uniform pay increases - this year, a trend that some companies say is straining employee morale. These flat, across-the-board pay hikes aim to reduce bias and provide a lifeline for hardworking staff during the country's cost-of-living crisis. However, the study shows that around 25% of companies are experiencing talent loss due to insufficient wage increases. Ruth Thomas, chief compensation strategist at Payscale, explains that high-achievers desire recognition for their extra effort, whereas low performers don't perceive fairness in equal pay. Despite the contentious nature of peanut butter raises, the report indicates that 32% of companies still plan to distribute them next year, with merit increases representing 3% of the 3.5% total payroll budget for 2027 - the largest chunk. As economic uncertainty continues to challenge employers, many acknowledge the necessity of competitively compensating top talent to attract and retain skilled workers.",
  "summary": "Around 36% of U.S. companies say they gave out across-the-board pay increases this year—and experts warn it’s killing motivation.",
  "key_points": [
    "Over a third of U.S. employers adopted \"peanut butter raises\" in 2023",
    "25% of companies losing top talent due to insufficient wage increases",
    "32% plan to distribute peanut butter raises next year, with merit increases as 3% of payroll budget"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}