8th Pay Commission Fitment Factor: What It Means for Government Employees' Salaries:

The government is expected to soon set up the 8th Pay Commission. A key topic of interest is the fitment factor, which plays a major role in determining salary increases for central government employees.

Though not yet confirmed officially, reports suggest the new fitment factor may range from 1.92 to 2.86. However, this won’t lead to a massive salary hike. That’s because the fitment factor is only applied to the basic pay, not the gross salary.

Other elements such as dearness allowance and various allowances are adjusted separately. This reduces the overall visible impact of the fitment factor on total earnings.

A Financial Express report explained that several components influence the final salary. The pay commission reviews and merges various allowances and makes structural changes. These adjustments mean that the impact of fitment factor is limited to basic pay.

Here’s a look at past pay commissions and actual salary increases: