The living wage

The proportion of workers who are not being paid the living wage is actually increasing, official statistics show. The Office for National Statistics said six million workers in Britain are paid under the hourly rate, which is calculated to cover the basic cost of living.

“In 2014, there were some 6 million employee jobs paid less than the living wage in the UK. Over half of these were part-time jobs,” the ONS said. “Between April 2008 and April 2010, the proportion of jobs paid less than the living wage in London was stable at around 13%, but it had risen to 19% by April 2014. For the rest of the UK, where only 3 years of estimates are available, the proportion of employee jobs paid less than the living wage rose from 21% in April 2012 to 23% in April 2014.”

The real number of workers is likely to be higher as the statistics authority excluded people under 18 and workers on the youth, training, and apprenticeship rates of the minimum wage.

The minimum wage would be re-branded the "National Living Wage" and be increased substantially, though to a level below the real living wage.