Dubai, 21 February 2013 - Aon Hewitt, the global human resources business of Aon plc (NYSE: AON), has revealed salary stability across the GCC for 2012.

Data from the winter update of Aon Hewitt’s annual Middle East Salary Increase Survey – based on participation from almost 120 companies across the GCC– has confirmed that the average salary increase across all sectors in the GCC in 2012 was consistent with levels predicted by participating organizations during 2011. On average, the organizations surveyed in the GCC both predicted and subsequently reported an average increase of 5.4% in salaries at the close of 2012.

The winter update of the Salary Increase Survey also gives organizations an opportunity to reforecast their salary increases for 2013, having last made their estimates in the middle of 2012.  Companies surveyed in the GCC forecast an average salary increase of 5.4% during 2013 – no change from 2012, indicating an underlining stability in the market with relatively consistent rates of increase and overall growth in salaries year-on-year.

Martin McGuigan, Head of Reward Consulting at Aon Hewitt Middle East, commented on the latest results: “The Aon Hewitt Middle East Salary Increase Survey provides a valuable snapshot of overall trends in salary increases in the GCC and enables organizations to benchmark their forecasts with the market in order to remain competitive.”

“Across the GCC, we are seeing a growing trend towards performance-based pay, and this appears to be coming more prevalent as the market continues to mature, giving organizations a means of capping their pay budget in accordance with business performance. Indeed, Aon Hewitt has seen an increase in demand for such information from a number of core industry verticals – including public sector, healthcare and media – and, as a result, we will soon be launching a series of new data surveys to give businesses better insight into salary levels within their specific sector.”

The report also reveals that no GCC firms were planning a hiring freeze and that 41% of organizations surveyed across the GCC are looking to increase recruitment this year compared to 2012.

Aon Hewitt has been conducting its annual landmark salary survey across the globe for 36 years; launching it in the Middle East for the first time in 2009. The survey was conducted during 2012 in seven regional countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The survey is part of Aon Hewitt’s suite of evidence-based, research-led studies including Qudurat, Best Employers Middle East (BEME), Total Compensation Measurement (TCM™) and People Risk Index (PRI®).

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About Aon Hewitt

Aon Hewitt is the global leader in human resource solutions.  The company partners with organisations to solve their most complex benefits, talent and related financial challenges, and improve business performance.  Aon Hewitt designs, implements, communicates and administers a wide range of human capital, retirement, investment management, health care, compensation and talent management strategies.  With more than 29,000 professionals in 90 countries, Aon Hewitt makes the world a better place to work for clients and their employees.  For more information on Aon Hewitt, please visit www.aonhewitt.com.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is the leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 65,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via innovative and effective risk and people solutions and through industry-leading global resources and technical expertise. Aon has been named repeatedly as the world’s best broker, best insurance intermediary, reinsurance intermediary, captives manager and best employee benefits consulting firm by multiple industry sources. Visit www.aon.com for more information on Aon and www.aon.com/manchesterunited to learn about Aon’s global partnership and shirt sponsorship with Manchester United.