Wage boost for low-paid workers in UK and Ireland

A national living wage came into force in the UK on 1 April, meaning that employers are now required to pay employees aged 25 and over at least GBP 7.20 (€9.02) an hour. This will boost the incomes of roughly 1.7 million low-paid workers. However, the rate is still lower than that estimated by the Living Wage Foundation as necessary to cover the basic costs of living, which is GBP 8.25 (€10.33). 

Workers under 25 will continue to receive the national minimum wage, which is set at a lower rate. Meanwhile, in Ireland, a rise of €0.50 in the national minimum wage came into effect on 1 January this year, raising the hourly rate to €9.15 per hour, the first increase since 2007. 

For more details, read the articles in the EurWORK observatory:
for the UK, visit http://bit.ly/UKLWage; for Ireland, http://bit.ly/IEWageRise