New pay statistics have revealed a ‘tale of two workforces’, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The CIPD’s Labour Market Outlook revealed a near-equal split between people getting inflation-busting pay rises of 2% or more and those experiencing a wage-freeze or even a wage cut.

When asked about their pay during 2014, 40% said it had increased by 2% or more while 39% said it had been frozen.

Just 18% of respondents said pay had increased by below 2%, while 3% said they had been forced to swallow a pay cut.

The stats are evidence of the UK’s patchy economic recovery, with certain industries, and businesses within those industries, faring better than others.

Public sector workers and SMEs were least likely to have received bumper pay packages last year, with 54% and 45% of workers in these groups getting pay freezes respectively.

The CIPD said the pay gap was shown to exist within sectors, with businesses adopting high-value strategies – as opposed to cost-cutting measures – most likely to afford pay rises.

Gerwyn Davies, a labour market analysts for the CIPD, said: “Our report implies that the difference within sectors…lies partly in the quality of leadership and management and level of workforce investment.

“There is evidence that organisations that have more sophisticated product market strategies are more likely to have adopted more advanced human resource management strategies characterised by more progressive people practices and greater workforce investment.”

Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce conference last week prime minister David Cameron said it was time for businesses to offer pay increases because of improvements to economic conditions.

But in response the Davies said business should invest more in boosting productivity, which in turn would help them afford better pay.

“The role for government is not to cajole business into giving more generous pay awards on the back of stronger economic growth and lower costs, but to understand the levers that can help more firms increase their workplace productivity and move up the quality chain.

“This includes supporting businesses to improve management practices and encouraging greater investment in skills and the effective utilisation of skills.”