The hospitality industry has been one of the most severely hit industries over the course of the pandemic, with pubs and restaurants being forced to close. According to trade body UKHospitality, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused the industry to lose more than £87Bn in sales.

Payroll software provider Mitrefinch found the UK ranks in 20th place for annual salary increases, behind Ireland, France and the United States.

The data shows salaries have increased 20% for full-time workers in the UK since 2000, compared to 35% for Ireland. Latvian employees were found to have the largest annual salary increase, rising 148% over the last two decades.

Commenting on the figures, Julie Lock, commercial director at Mitrefinch, said: “The pandemic has amplified any existing financial concerns for hospitality employees across the UK, with many being furloughed during lockdown or losing work altogether as events were called off, venues were closed.

“As the lockdown eased, staff in hospitality returned back to work again to continue doing what they love most, and they deserve to be recognised for their resilience and hard work over the past year.

“The data shows us that the increase of both this rate and annual average salaries for full-time employees has been slow in comparison to neighbouring countries, which is disappointing for hospitality workers who have faced an extremely tough year in their industry.”