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Turns out that “functionally illiterate” US workers earn about the same per hour as the average British worker, if you want a reminder of the wretched state of British salaries

Michael White. Updated August 8th, 2026

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Ah, nothing like seeing the state of the economy laid out in stark, depressing detail.

If you’re working in the UK, and you think that your salary isn’t great compared to your level of training, education or experience, then you might be onto something.

John Burn-Murdoch, chief data reporter with the Financial Times, posted some startling findings on Twitter/X on Friday.

His post reads:

“Young people in Britain are some of the most well-educated in the rich world, but economic stagnation means that breeds not growth but frustration.

In fact, US workers who are functionally illiterate now earn roughly the same per hour as the average British worker.”

Murdoch published the post to show that, while the UK education system is comparably strong and healthy, the economy most certainly is not, and that the lack of real economic opportunity that matches the level of education is making British workers angry and frustrated.

His findings have made a big impact online, as you might expect.

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Source: Twitter/X/jburnmurdoch