Number of UK jobs paid below minimum wage by sex, age, occupation and industry, and region, annual estimates, 1998 to 2023. Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

In April 2025, the UK minimum wage for adults over the age of 21 in will be 12.21 pounds per hour. For the 2025/26 financial year, there will be four minimum wage categories, three of which are based on age and one for apprentice workers. Apprentices, and workers under the age of 18 will have a minimum wage of 7.55 pounds an hour, increasing to ten pounds for those aged 18 to 20. When the minimum wage was first introduced in 1999, there were just two age categories; 18 to 21, and 22 and over. This increased to three categories in 2004, four in 2010, and five between 2016 and 2023, before being reduced down to four in the most recent year. The living wage The living wage is an alternative minimum wage amount that employers in the UK can voluntarily pay their employees. It is calculated independently of the legal minimum wage and results in a higher value figure. In 2023/24, for example, the living wage was twelve pounds an hour for the UK as a whole and 13.15 for workers in London, where the cost of living is typically higher. This living wage is different from what the UK government has named the national living wage, which was 10.42 in the same financial year. Between 2011/12 and 2023/24, the living wage has increased by 4.80 pounds, while the London living wage has grown by 4.85 pounds. Wage growth cancelled-out by high inflation 2021-2023 For a long period between the middle of 2021 and late 2023, average wage growth in the UK was unable to keep up with record inflation levels, resulting in the biggest fall in disposable income since 1956. Although the UK government attempted to mitigate the impact of falling living standards through a series of cost of living payments, the situation has still been very difficult for households. After peaking at 11.1 percent in October 2022, the UK's inflation rate remained in double figures until March 2023, and did not fall to the preferred rate of two percent until May 2024. As of November 2024, regular weekly pay in the UK was growing by 5.6 percent in nominal terms, and 2.5 percent when adjusted for inflation.

Minimum Wages in the United Kingdom increased to 12.21 GBP/Hour in 2025 from 11.44 GBP/Hour in 2024. This dataset provides - United Kingdom Minimum Wages - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Estimates of the number and proportion of UK employee jobs with hourly pay below the living wage, by region, work geography, local authority and Parliamentary constituency, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

The story will look at how pay has changed in the UK since 1986, comparing increases for the lowest and highest paid. It will look at changes since the introduction of the National Minimum Wage and also the impact of recessions over the period. It will also show the types of jobs that pay the most as well as differences across the regions of the UK.

Source agency: Office for National Statistics

Designation: National Statistics

Language: English

Alternative title: Earnings in the UK over the past 25 years

Annual estimates of the number and proportion of UK jobs paying below various 10 pence thresholds and the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage, by employee age group, from 1998 to 2023.

This Report looks at changes in earnings in the UK over the past forty years. It makes use of distributional and cohort analysis to assess the impact of the recession on earnings as well as looking at the impact of the introduction of the national minimum wage.

Source agency: Office for National Statistics

Designation: National Statistics

Language: English

Alternative title: UK Wages Over the Past Four Decades

United Kingdom National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate: Age 25 & Over data was reported at 8.210 GBP in Mar 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 8.210 GBP for Dec 2019. United Kingdom National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate: Age 25 & Over data is updated quarterly, averaging 7.665 GBP from Jun 2016 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.210 GBP in Mar 2020 and a record low of 7.200 GBP in Mar 2017. United Kingdom National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate: Age 25 & Over data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department for Work and Pensions. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.G047: National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate.

Percentage of respondents in work earning less than the London Living Wage (LLW) taken from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earning (ASHE). Data is provided by whether the employee is male or female and works full-time or part-time. Data is also provided by borough. Also includes employees earning below the UK Living Wage by region outside London. The minimum wage levels in each year are stated in the table. This dataset is one of the Greater London Authority's measures of Economic Fairness. Click here to find out more.

United Kingdom National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate: Below Age 18 data was reported at 4.350 GBP in Mar 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 4.350 GBP for Dec 2019. United Kingdom National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate: Below Age 18 data is updated quarterly, averaging 3.680 GBP from Mar 2005 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 61 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.350 GBP in Mar 2020 and a record low of 3.000 GBP in Dec 2005. United Kingdom National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate: Below Age 18 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department for Work and Pensions. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.G047: National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate.

United Kingdom National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate: Age 18 to 20 data was reported at 6.150 GBP in Mar 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 6.150 GBP for Dec 2019. United Kingdom National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate: Age 18 to 20 data is updated quarterly, averaging 5.300 GBP from Mar 2010 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 41 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.150 GBP in Mar 2020 and a record low of 4.920 GBP in Dec 2010. United Kingdom National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate: Age 18 to 20 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department for Work and Pensions. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.G047: National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate.

This dataset provides values for MINIMUM WAGES reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

United Kingdom National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate: Apprentice data was reported at 3.900 GBP in Mar 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 3.900 GBP for Dec 2019. United Kingdom National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate: Apprentice data is updated quarterly, averaging 3.300 GBP from Mar 2010 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 41 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.900 GBP in Mar 2020 and a record low of 2.500 GBP in Dec 2010. United Kingdom National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate: Apprentice data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department for Work and Pensions. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.G047: National Minimum Wage: Hourly Rate.

As of 2023, the average annual wage of Germany was 48,301 euros per year, a growth of almost 6,000 Euros when compared with 2000. From 2000 until 2007, wages rose by less than a thousand euros, with wage growth accelerating mainly in the period after 2010. Comparisons with rest of the EU Within the European Union Luxembourg had an average annual salary of almost 80 thousand Euros, with Germany having an annual salary comparable to other large European Countries, such as the United Kingdom and France. In neighboring Poland, the average annual salary was just over 39 thousand U.S dollars, meaning that German’s earned, on average, 20 percent more than what their Polish counterparts did. German economy slowing in 2023 While Germany initially had one of the strongest recoveries from the 2008 financial crash and as of 2020 had the largest economy in Europe its economy has started to slow in recent years. For 2023 the German economy is contracted by 0.26 percent, and while 2024 marked a slight improvement, the expectations are that 2025 remains a year of slow growth.

Alternative minimum wage definition.

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It provides information about the levels, distribution and make-up of earnings and hours paid for employees by gender and full-time/part-time working. Estimates are available for various breakdowns including industries, occupations, geographies and age-groups within the UK. ASHE is used to produce hours and earnings statistics for a range of weekly, annual and hourly measures. ASHE is the official source of estimates for the number of jobs paid below the national minimum wage. ASHE is also used to produce estimates of the proportions of jobs within workplace pension categories. ASHE is based on a one per cent sample of employee jobs taken from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) PAYE records. Information on earnings and hours is obtained from employers and treated confidentially. ASHE does not cover the self-employed nor does it cover employees not paid during the reference period. The datasets used for the 2011 datasets are the Revised datasets and are published a year after the provisional. The dataset is split into several different categories including all employees, all male employees and all female employees. Datasets are further categorised by mode of working i.e. Full or Part Time. Full datasets are available from The Office for National Statistics. 2014-06-13T14:25 Licence: None

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has sought consent from individuals to publish the names and salaries of those staff earning a full-time salary over £60,000 (the Senior Civil Service minimum as at 31 March 2014 - previous releases were for salaries over the relevant minimum at time of publication).

The Department recently published an updated Local Government Transparency Code 2014 which covers local authorities in England. The full Local Government Transparency Code 2014 can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-transparency-code-2014

To view the names and salaries of staff in DCLG please see the publications below or the information as published on the DCLG website here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/senior-dclg-employee-salaries

The measure shows the proportion of all adults (aged 18-64) with a learning disability who are known to the council, who are recorded as being in paid employment. The definition of individuals 'known to the council' is restricted to those adults with a learning disability (with a primary client group of LD) who have been assessed or reviewed by the council during the year (irrespective of whether or not they receive a service) or who should have been reviewed but were not. The measure is focused on 'paid' employment, to be clear that voluntary work is to be excluded for the purposes of this measure. Paid employment is measured using the following two categories: Working as a paid employee or self-employed (16 or more hours per week); and, Working as a paid employee or self-employed (up to 16 hours per week). A 'paid employee' is one who works for a company, community or voluntary organisation, council or other organisation and is earning at or above the National Minimum Wage. This includes those who are working in supported employment (i.e. those receiving support from a specialist agency to maintain their job) who are earning at or above the National Minimum Wage. 'Self-employed' is defined as those who work for themselves and generally pay their National Insurance themselves. This should also include those who are unpaid family workers (i.e. those who do unpaid work for a business they own or for a business a relative owns). In 2014/15 the change from ASC-CAR to SALT resulted in a change to who is included in the measure. Previously, this measure included 'all adults with a learning disability who are known to the council. However, SALT table LTS001a only captures those clients who have received a long-term service in the reporting year. Furthermore, the measure now only draws on the subset of these clients who have a primary support reason of Learning Disability Support; those clients who may previously have been included in the client group Learning Disability in ASC-CAR might not have a primary support reason of Learning Disability Support, and are now excluded from the measure. Only covers people receiving partly or wholly supported care from their Local Authority and not wholly private, self-funded care. Data source: SALT. Data is Powered by LG Inform Plus and automatically checked for new data on the 3rd of each month.

This dataset provides values for WAGE GROWTH reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.