WAGE rises in Lancashire this year are likely to be less than inflation according to a survey published today.

Almost two thirds of employers in the region said they had budgeted the 1998 pay settlement at or below 3.5 per cent compared with inflation of 3.7 per cent.

Last year's average pay rise across the North West was 3.6 per cent.

"Unless there is a slowdown in the rate at which inflation is growing, workers throughout the region will find that they will be worse off when future pay settlements come around," said Bernasia Halik, human resources consultant with KPMG who carried out the survey.

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