Washington: Workers who are loyal to their employers tend to be paid more, according to a new study.

Michigan State University researchers surveyed 10,800 employees in former socialist countries that introduced capitalist economies in the 1990s.

While previous research has found that worker loyalty bolsters companies' bottom lines by lowering labor turnover costs and enhanced customer service, this study shows that employees benefit as well - by making more money, said Susan Linz, lead author and professor of economics.

"We know that firms realize financial gain from loyal workers, but we wanted to know if they share those benefits with the workers," Linz said.

"And among the more than 650 workplaces included in our study the answer is yes, they are sharing the wealth," she said.

The researchers surveyed employees from 2005 to 2011 in six culturally and economically diverse countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazahkstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Serbia.

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