Agree with you - companies ought to recognise increases in market rate/inflation, plus an increase for experience/responsibility. Employees need to recognise th

Agree with you - companies ought to recognise increases in market rate/inflation, plus an increase for experience/responsibility. Employees need to recognise that receiving only one of these is a snub. > Therefore, if the market actually paid less for a job this year than last, then the employee would receive no adjustment. This strikes me as a likely reason for structural inflation: companies can pay less for the same job (if they choose), without needing to negotiate a highly awkward pay decrease. It's psychologically harder for an employee to argue against the status quo.