Slump to hit pay hikes in '09

A quarter of the world's companies, and 40 percent in the United States, plan to freeze salaries this year, but employees in South America and India can look forward to robust rises, a global survey showed yesterday.

Employees in Japan, Lithuania and Ireland will see the lowest pay rises, according to the survey of 53 countries by London-based research company ECA International. In recession-hit Japan, half of companies plan to freeze salaries.

Globally, average salaries should increase 4.7 percent this year, down from a 6.2 percent rise in 2008, the survey shows.