Even before politicians fully implement banker-bailout austerity measures on the rest of us this 2012, one group in society has already been going under for some time.

Less than three in every 10 workers expect a pay rise this year. Sixty-five per cent of them have been subjected to recent pay freezes, and 15 per cent have had no pay rise at all for at least the past three years.

The figures come from research published today by consumer site uSwitch, and goes on to reveal that those employees expecting a pay rise will receive just 2.1% on average – i.e., less than half the rate of inflation.

But it is still worthwhile working, right? Well, a crunch point must arrive sooner rather than later. The cost of getting to work by train has increased by up to 11% in the past year, directly reducing the value of wage packets. More generally, household energy bills have soared for all of us by an average 21% in the past 12 months, and overall inflation has averaged 5.3%.

USwitch found that two in ten breadwinners will be forced to look for a second job, or to increase their existing working hours, and that 15% have no idea how they’ll cope this year without a pay rise.

Such is, and will be, the reality for much of the nation’s workforce.