More than a quarter of employees in Lancashire earn less than a Living Wage

More than a quarter of employees in Lancashire are paid less than the Living Wage, according to new research published by KPMG.

The data reflects a worse situation than that across the wider North West region, where 25 per cent of employees, the equivalent of 670,000 people, earn below the threshold. When looking at the North West as a whole, employees in West Lancashire are the worst off, with 40 per cent of the working population earning below the Living Wage, while 37 per cent and 36 per cent of employees in Rossendale and Wyre are paid less than £7.85 per hour respectively.

The research, conducted by Markit for KPMG, shows that part-time jobs are three times as likely to pay below £7.85 per hour (or £9.15 in London) as full-time roles. Despite accounting for less than one-third of all UK jobs, there are more part-time roles paying less than the Living Wage (3.205m) than full-time jobs (2.623m).

With more young people employed than last year, the analysis shows that younger workers remain the most likely group to be caught in the ‘working poverty’ trap. 72 percent of 18-21 year olds are currently earning less than the Living Wage, compared to just 17 percent of those aged 30-39. In real terms this equates to 880,000 employees of traditional university age failing to earn enough to support the purchase of basic necessities.

“However, there is still a worrying proportion of people across Lancashire being paid below the Living Wage. With the cost of living still high and household finances being continually squeezed, many are forced to live hand to mouth. The figures released today show that there is still more to be done if we are to eradicate in-work poverty.