The total number of jobs paying less than the living wage is down by 100,000 compared to last year, the lowest number since 2014, according to research for KPMG. Around a quarter of women workers (around 3.4 million) earn less than the living wage, compared with 16% of men.
Sales and retail assistants make up the largest number of jobs earning less than the living wage whilst bar staff are the group most likely to be paid less than this rate (86% receive less than the living wage). Regionally, Northern Ireland has the highest proportion of jobs earning below the living wage, followed by the East Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber. As many as 66% of all workers between the age of 18 and 21 are in jobs paying below the living wage threshold.