16 million UK workers don’t expect a pay rise in 2010.

According to a survey by YouGov, 57% of UK employees are not expecting to get a pay rise this year given the state of the economy.

This equates to 16 million workers, and a further nine million expect to receive a pay rise below the level of inflation. Public sector workers – such as nurses, civil servants and teachers – expect the smallest salary increase.

The new report, commissioned by independent price comparison and switching service, uSwitch.com, reveals that the recession is far from over for millions of consumers.

It also suggests that more than five million consumers spend more than they earn, and of those nearly half are using overdrafts to make up the difference. In total, a third of consumers in the UK think they will be worse off this year than last.

Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch, said: “The Government is going to have a hard time persuading people that things are on the up when over half the workforce is witnessing a 0% pay rise.

“Consumers face a double threat – the Government is toying with measures such as raising taxes to reduce the public deficit, which will have a direct impact on personal finances. When coupled with lower than anticipated salary increases it can only mean that we are in for a bumpy ride and the situation could get worse before it gets better.

“Consumers have little scope for reducing their own budget deficits unless they work harder to strip down their essential bills to the bare minimum, rather than continue to plug the hole by borrowing.”

Over-borrowing is a concern – the survey found that over a third (34%) use credit cards to keep them afloat – in fact 21 million are using their credit card at least once a month, up 4% from 2007. Excluding mortgages, the average household debt in the UK is £9,000, which increases to £18,722 when unsecured loans are taken into account. In total households are faced with average debts of £57,937 including mortgages.

The average gross salary this year after a 1.9% increase will be £24,425, but the report highlights that the gap between public and private sector pay is shrinking. 2010 pay rises show a 26% gap between the two groups compared to a 66% gap in 2008. Public sector workers are set to take home an extra £23 a month while those in the private sector can expect an additional £35 in their pockets.

uSwitch.com commissioned an online omnibus with YouGov Plc which was conducted in February 2010 amongst a GB nationally-representative sample of 4,235 adults.