Nick Bate, director at specialist learning-recruitment firm Blue Eskimo, believes that this is becoming an increasing issue. "In 2008," says Bate, "around 37% of people in the learning sector got a pay rise in line with inflation, while around 19% of people enjoyed a pay rise above the level of inflation. Then -- bam -- the recession bit hard, and those numbers plummeted."

The number of those who received a rise in line with inflation dropped to just over 21%, while those receiving a pay rise above the rate of inflation dropped to around 13%. "Since then," says Bate, "learning-sector pay has roughly flatlined, with no significant improvement." Although there have been small increases in those getting rises, the overall trend is for pay to be static – and, as costs increase, this means that their pay packet doesn’t go as far.

Blue Eskimo’s survey is the only market report to track these – and other – trends. The company has just launched its survey for 2014, with the hope that there will be a significant improvement in pay. "Clearly," says Bate, "this can’t go on forever." As an incentive for people to take part in the survey, the company is offering an Amazon Kindle Fire HDX tablet, worth around £200. Those taking part must work in a learning department or for a training, eLearning, or learning-and-development organisation.

In addition to providing the results online for free, a copy will be made available to members of the Learning & Performance Institute. It will also be distributed at January’s Learning Technologies conference and exhibition, which runs 28–29 January 2015 at Olympia Central in London.

The survey can be taken online. It runs from now until mid-December and takes less than five minutes to complete. The results of the survey will be available early in 2015 – and the winner of the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX should receive the tablet in time for Christmas.