Upfront: Salaries Increase -- Barely

This year's average pay increase of 3.3 percent will rise only slightly, to 3.5 percent, next year. As budgets continue to stagnate, nonmonetary recognition awards top the chart in terms of prevalence -- 72 percent of businesses offer them. Spot cash awards are also gaining ground; they're provided by 53 percent of companies this year, up from 48 percent five years ago.

Source: Mercer Human Resource Consulting, "U.S. Compensation Planning Survey"