The 8th Pay Commission held its discussions with stakeholders in New Delhi today (Friday, August 7, 2026). The commission is meeting with employee and pensioner bodies, representatives of organisations and other stakeholders to discuss salary, pension, employee work condition and welfare and similar issues. With the recommendation report submission deadline of May 2026 approaching, the 8th Pay Commission is set to hold discussions in Chennai, Puducherry, Jaipur and Chandigarh with stakeholders in August and September 2026.Employees are keenly expecting the 8th Pay Commission to submit its report soon as it will lead to an early implementation and salary hike. The basic salary increase for central government employees will depend on the fitment factor. A 2.0 fitment factor can double their basic pay, but it may not double their gross pay. Bankbazaar’s projections show that at 2, 2.38 and 2.57 fitment factors, the gross pay hike can be in the range of 31%-68%.Who are Level 7 and 8 central government employees?As per the 7th Pay Commission matrix, Level 7 and 8 employees can be inspector, section officer, assistant engineer, senior accounts officers, nursing officers, administrative officers, etc.Before you continue readingHow financially free are you?Most people overestimate their financial freedom. Discover your Financial Freedom score through a quick surveyThese employees assist in daily administrative work at central government offices, playing an important role in the functioning of daily work.How much salary hike can Level 7 and 8 government employees see if the 8th Pay Commission decides on a fitment factor of 2.0, 2.38 or 2.57?8th Pay Commission fitment factorNational Council - Joint Consultative Machinery- NC (JCM), the main central government employee body, and All India Defence Employees’ Federation (AIDEF), the employee body of civil defence employees, have recommended a 3.833 fitment factor each from the 8th Pay Commission.Some organisations like Indian Railway Technical Supervisors’ Association are demanding multiple fitment factors for different levels of employees.Fitment factor demands by different employee bodies Organisation Fitment factor demand National Council - Joint Consultative Machinery 3.833 All India Defence Employees’ Federation 3.833 Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh (BPMS) 4 Indian Railway Technical Supervisors’ Association 2.92 to 4.38 Federation of National Postal Organisations 3 All India NPS Employees' Federation 3.83 Source: Official memorandumsLevel 7 employees’ gross salary estimates at 2.0, 2.38 and 2.57 fitment factorsIn its calculations, Bankbazaar has taken the basic salary of a Level 7 employee as per the 7th Pay Commission. The gross salary includes dearness allowance (DA) and House Rent Allowance (HRA). To keep the calculation simple, it hasn’t taken any other allowance.The current HRA rate for an employee residing in an X-category is 30% of basic pay. It was 24% as per the 7th Pay Commission terms and conditions but reached 30% when DA touched the 50% mark in January 2024. For the 8th Pay Commission, Bankbazaar has calculated HRA at 24% for an X-category employee.ET Online