One in six Brits are lying about their wages

Brits are not being honest when it comes to their salary, with 17 per cent telling others that they earn more to seem wealthier.

Research of 1,000 workers carried out by loan broker Norton Finance, found that 34 per cent of those who lie did so to give others the idea that they earned as much as them, while 33 per cent wanted to impress a friend.

One in eight told a lie on a date to make a good impression, with men three times as likely to do this, and 21 per cent told a porky because they didn’t want to feel left out.

The findings also revealed that one in seven chose to keep their earnings a secret from their other half, and more than a third only know roughly how much their partner or spouse earns.

“I think the British are generally quite reserved when it comes to matters like salary. Talking about how much we earn isn’t the ‘done thing’ and as we can see from our research, people will think you’re rude for doing so,” said Paul Stringer, MD of Norton Finance.

“What the study shows is that we feel a lot of pressure when it comes to how much we earn. Seeing that some people try to fit in with their friends by perhaps saying they earn as much, or more, than them shows how much we link our wages to our own self-worth.”

Londoners were the most likely to mislead people about their salary, with 23 per cent choosing to lie about their earnings. Meanwhile, in the East Midlands, five per cent of workers would fabricate their wages.