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New report reveals over half a million jobs in London are low paid

A new report by the Living Wage Foundation, which includes analysis of ONS data, has found that 574,000 jobs in London are low paid.

Despite previously being amongst the regions with the lowest incidence of low pay, there is now a higher rate of low pay in London compared to the UK as a whole.

Young workers between 18-21 were found more likely to be low paid than any other age group in London, with more than half of these workers being low paid.


As part of the report, the Living Wage also commissioned polling which revealed that 51 per cent of low paid Londoners have used a foodbank in the past year, with 23 per cent visiting one once a week or more. Additionally, over a third of those polled (36 per cent) also admitted to regularly skipping meals for financial reasons.

Living on low pay in London was also found to negatively affect both workers’ mental and physical health. 65 per cent of low paid Londoners reported that their level of pay negatively impacts their mental health, with 69 per cent experiencing negative impacts on their anxiety levels. Over half of these workers also further reported that being on low pay in London has a negative impact on their relationships with close friends and family.

Despite inflation easing back to target levels, almost half of low paid Londoners report being worse off than a year ago, with 61 per cent pointing to the cost of living as the main reason for this. In fact, to cope with rising costs, over half of low paid London workers have had to undertake more work to make ends meet.

Given how meaningful social work is, I’m angry that employers and other care providers don’t pay a fair wage. My uncle is a carer by day and a security guard at night to keep food on the table for his kids. As a dad you want to stand tall but sometimes, I see him and he can barely stand at all. I’m proud to work with London Citizens to share stories like these and encourage care companies to do the right thing and pay a real living wage. I speak out because it gives me hope, it gives my uncle and his colleagues hope too and also provides them some time to rest and to spend quality time with family and friends. Flint Mcllister, support worker and community organiser

As inflation eases, it’s important to remember that low paid Londoners continue to face the brunt of persistent high prices. Our findings today highlight the detrimental impact this continues to have on their mental and physical health. We’re grateful to the 4,001 London employers who continue to demonstrate their commitment to providing a real Living Wage to their workers, ensuring they are paid enough to meet their everyday needs Emily Hodgson, Head of Partnership and Campaigns at the Living Wage Foundation

Our vision for London is simple.

The Making London a Living Wage City project, led by Citizens UK, the Living Wage Foundation and the Mayor of London, is working to tackle issues of low pay and insecure work through Living Wage and Living Hours accreditations.

It aims to put over £635m back into the pockets of low paid workers, and lift tens of thousands of workers out of in-work poverty by boosting the number of accredited Living Wage and Living Hours employers across the capital.

Posted by Sophie Thomhave-Lee on 15 Oct, 2024