Just over half of workers had a pay rise last year and more are optimistic about seeing their salaries increase in 2015, according to new research.

The typical increase has been 2% for the past two years, leaving half feeling dissatisfied with their employers, a survey of more than 2,200 adults by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found .

Most expect a similar rise this year although they said they have not been told what they need to achieve to get a pay hike.

Charles Cotton of the CIPD said: "This month, many employers will be spending a lot of money on increasing their employees' pay as part of their annual pay reviews.

"But to get a return on this investment, our research suggests that employees are more likely to be satisfied with the outcome if the organisation takes the time to explain the reasons behind it."

Workers aged between 25 and 34 were most likely to have had a pay rise last year, while the sectors where wages increased the most included manufacturing, finance, travel and tourism, the study showed.

Almost one in four of those polled said their pay increase did not reflect their performance at work.