The living wage is a measure of income calculated to afford an employee a basic but socially acceptable standard of living. The report highlights findings from Living Wage Ireland that the main factor driving the most recent increases in the living wage has been the rapid increase in private rental housing costs. In the UK, which has the most developed living wage campaign in Europe - and where more than half of those in poverty live in working households - over 4,000 employers have volunteered for living wage accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation. Living wage campaigns, though small in number, have had an impact on statutory minimum wage systems, most notably in the UK where the government has rebranded the statutory minimum wage for those aged 25+ as a ‘national living wage’. To date, the living wage concept has had limited traction in EU Member States beyond the UK and Ireland.

Source: Evening echo November 30, 2018 16:41 UTC