Investment bankers still get paid much more than other professionals, including doctors and engineers, but for the first time in a generation, the gap is narrowing.
投资银行家的薪酬仍比其他专业人士(包括医生和工程师)高得多,但这种差距在二三十年以来首次缩小。
In what remuneration experts say marks only the beginning of potentially the largest adjustment in decades, average pay per head in a sample of nine European and US investment banks has fallen from 9.5 times the private sector average in 2006 to 5.8 times last year, according to research compiled by PwC exclusively for the FT.
薪酬专家表示,这可能标志着数十年来最重大调整的开端。普华永道(PwC)专为英国《金融时报》进行的研究显示,在抽样调查的9家欧美投行中,人均薪酬已从2006年的9.5倍于私营部门均值水平,降至去年的5.8倍。
The study shows that the pay premium that was built up amid the deregulation wave since the 1980s and the debt-fuelled bonanza in the past decade is waning six years after the financial crisis.
这项研究显示,自上世纪80年代放松管制开始、并在本世纪头10年债务推动的繁荣期达到顶峰的薪酬溢价,在金融危机爆发6年后开始消退。
“Bank pay has fallen further and faster than many people think, and 2012 has seen a material reallocation of returns from employees to shareholders,” said Tom Gosling, a partner at PwC’s rewards practice.
“银行薪酬的降幅和降速超出许多人的想像。2012年,回报对象实质性地从雇员转向股东,”普华永道薪酬实践合伙人汤姆 戈斯林(Tom Gosling)表示。
Last year, European banks in particular have cut pay, despite strongly rising profits, in a stark sign of how the changes go beyond cyclical adjustments.
去年,尽管利润强劲增长,但欧洲银行在削减薪酬方面尤为活跃。这是一个明显的迹象,表明相关变化超出周期性调整的范畴。
Median profits at investment banks rose 28 per cent in 2012, excluding the quirky effect of the valuation of their own debt. But pay fell 6 per cent.
2012年,投资银行的利润中值(不计对其自身债务估值所产生的离奇效应)增长了28%,但薪酬降低了6%。
“There have always been wild swings, but what is different now is that pay has changed structurally,” said Mark Quinn, a partner at Mercer’s rewards practice.
“大幅摇摆的现象一直存在,但现在不同的是,薪酬出现了结构性的变化,”美世(Mercer)薪酬实践合伙人马克 奎因(Mark Quinn)表示。
But bankers warn of a growing rift between the US and Europe, where regulatory pressure and slower revenue growth is pushing down pay much more markedly.
但银行家们警告称,美国和欧洲之间的差距正在拉大。在欧洲,监管压力和营收增长放缓,都在更为明显地压低薪酬。
“There is somewhat less pressure at US banks. They still pay more overall and they pay a much higher cash bonus,” said Stephane Rambosson, a partner at executive research firm Veni Partners.
“美国银行受到的压力要小一些。它们的总体薪酬更高,而且它们的现金奖金要高得多,”猎头公司Veni Partners合伙人斯蒂芬 拉姆伯森(Stephane Rambosson)表示。
The FT research compares a sample of nine investment banks with global companies in the FTSE 100 index, which given that two-thirds of these companies’ revenues are derived from outside the UK is seen as a valid gauge.
英国《金融时报》的这项研究把抽样调查的9家投行与富时100指数成份股中的全球企业做了比较,鉴于后者三分之二的营收来自英国以外,因此这些企业的高管薪酬被视为有效标杆。
The finding that investment bankers continue to earn £212,000 on average – more than a decade ago – may add fuel to the heated European debate about the sector’s pay levels.
研究显示,投资银行家平均薪酬达到21.2万英镑,高于10年前的水平。这可能给欧洲围绕银行业薪酬水平的激烈辩论火上浇油。
It comes after EU member states have unsettled bankers in London with a legislative plan to limit bonuses for the most senior staff and star traders to the same size as salaries.
这一研究结果出炉之际,欧盟成员国的一个立法计划令伦敦的银行家们备感不安。按照这个计划,多数高级员工和明星交易员的奖金将不得高于工资。
Investors and pay experts say pay will have to come down further but they are staunchly opposed to a cap.
投资者和薪酬专家都表示,薪酬必须进一步降低,但他们都强烈反对设定上限。