THE LONDON living wage has risen from £9.15 per hour to £9.40, or 23% higher than the government’s new national living wage set to be introduced in April next year.
Outside of London, the living wage has also been adjusted, increasing from £7.85 to £8.25 per hour, again much higher than the new minimum wage.
The figures come from the Living Wage Foundation, which calculates the living wage according to the basic cost of living in the UK. Over 2,000 businesses have signed up to pay the foundation’s rate. This includes 34 hospitality firms, 17 restaurants and 12 caterers.
The rate differs from the new national living wage – as the government has dubbed it – which will replace the minimum wage for those over 25. At £7.20 per hour, the new minimum is expected to add 3.6% to the wage bill of the foodservice industry as it increases steadily to £9 by 2020.