The sluggish economy seems to be giving employers a bargaining chip when it comes to salary negotiations.

Job candidates are now expecting less starting pay and doing less negotiating when it comes to salaries, according to a new report by Jobfox.com

A sample of job ads in the 25 most common job categories in the past five months showed that in nine categories (36%), starting salary offers have decreased over that period. None of the categories saw an increase, and the other 16 stayed flat.

Economic troubles have filtered down to candidates, who are bargaining less and accepting jobs with lower pay than they would have several months ago, says Jobfox CEO Rob McGovern.

It’s still a tough line for companies to walk, though — a slow economy doesn’t mean candidates should be low-balled. The best approach? Gather info from multiple sources — including industry associations, your peers and your competitors — to make sure you’re paying what’s appropriate in the current market.

Tags: compensation, Jobfox, pay expectations, salary, Salary negotiations