[UK] One in ten third sector jobs are paid below the real Living Wage

In the UK, a new analysis of the latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), by the Living Wage Foundation, has revealed that the number of UK jobs in the not-for-profit sector paid below the real Living Wage rose to 286,000 in the last year.  

This aligns with rising low pay across every region and nation and virtually every industry in the UK. Nearly 1 in 6 (16 per cent) UK jobs overall are now paid below the real Living Wage. 

The region with the highest rate of low-paid not-for-profit jobs is reportedly the North East. There, 18 per cent of third sector jobs are paid below the real Living Wage. 

According to the Living Wage Foundation, the region with the lowest proportion of low-paid not-for-profit jobs is the South East, where 9.5 per cent of third sector jobs are paid below the real Living Wage. 

Charity roles paid below the real Living Wage can include care workers, charity shop staff and entry-level workers. A CharityJob survey released earlier in the year reportedly showed that one in four entry-level charity jobs is paid below the real Living Wage.  

Katherine Chapman - Executive Director of the Living Wage Foundation - said. “No one wants their workers to be forced to skip meals, but low pay in the third sector means that many charities may be perpetuating the very problems that they were set up to solve. Everyone deserves to be paid enough to afford decent standard of living. 

“Charities that are accredited as Living Wage Employers tend to see better retention, recruitment and worker wellbeing, and they do better at attracting people from all backgrounds into the sector. Staff from working-class backgrounds continue to be underrepresented in the charity sector, and the real Living Wage helps to ensure that no one has to turn down a job because they don’t have access to savings or to financial help from family. 

“The support of our 80+ Living Wage funders has been crucial in enabling charities to become Living Wage employers. We’d encourage more grant-makers to consider becoming Living Wage Funders, and structure fair pay into their grant-making processes.” 

Source: Living Wage Foundation

(Link and quotes via original reporting)

In the UK, a new analysis of the latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), by the Living Wage Foundation, has revealed that the number of UK jobs in the not-for-profit sector paid below the real Living Wage rose to 286,000 in the last year.  

This aligns with rising low pay across every region and nation and virtually every industry in the UK. Nearly 1 in 6 (16 per cent) UK jobs overall are now paid below the real Living Wage. 

The region with the highest rate of low-paid not-for-profit jobs is reportedly the North East. There, 18 per cent of third sector jobs are paid below the real Living Wage. 

According to the Living Wage Foundation, the region with the lowest proportion of low-paid not-for-profit jobs is the South East, where 9.5 per cent of third sector jobs are paid below the real Living Wage. 

Charity roles paid below the real Living Wage can include care workers, charity shop staff and entry-level workers. A CharityJob survey released earlier in the year reportedly showed that one in four entry-level charity jobs is paid below the real Living Wage.  

Katherine Chapman - Executive Director of the Living Wage Foundation - said. “No one wants their workers to be forced to skip meals, but low pay in the third sector means that many charities may be perpetuating the very problems that they were set up to solve. Everyone deserves to be paid enough to afford decent standard of living. 

“Charities that are accredited as Living Wage Employers tend to see better retention, recruitment and worker wellbeing, and they do better at attracting people from all backgrounds into the sector. Staff from working-class backgrounds continue to be underrepresented in the charity sector, and the real Living Wage helps to ensure that no one has to turn down a job because they don’t have access to savings or to financial help from family. 

“The support of our 80+ Living Wage funders has been crucial in enabling charities to become Living Wage employers. We’d encourage more grant-makers to consider becoming Living Wage Funders, and structure fair pay into their grant-making processes.” 

Source: Living Wage Foundation

(Link and quotes via original reporting)