Retaining talent in low wage roles

By Professor Rosalind Searle In the 1770s economist Adam Smith explored how to improve the human condition in a series of lectures in Glasgow, Scotland that resulted in his seminar book ‘An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations’, better known today as “The wealth of nations”. Despite over 300 years … Read more

Pay boost for over 64,000 Scottish workers as real Living Wage increases

10.1% increase in real Living Wage Over 3,400 Scottish employers are Living Wage accredited, meaning a pay boost for 64,200 workers Over 460,000 Living Wage workers are set for a pay boost at 14,000 Living Wage employers across the UK ÂŁ485 million in extra wages has gone to low-paid workers in Scotland since the campaign … Read more

progress flag with intersex symbol,chevron on the left edge made up of a black and a brown stripe plus pink, baby blue and white

Pride Month Blog – low pay is a barrier to true equality

By Muireann O’Sullivan, Living Wage Project Assistant June is Pride Month. Pride Month is rooted in the struggle of the LGBT+ community for equality and justice. It is a month to celebrate and reflect on the progress of the LGBT+ movement and look into the future to create a better world for all LGBT+ people. … Read more

‘All Work and Low Pay?’: a response from SCVO

SCVO are the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and a Living Wage Employer. In this long-read, Chief Executive, Anna Fowlie responds to the Living Wage Foundation’s latest study of the Living Wage in the third sector, ‘All Work and Low Pay?’  The Living Wage Foundation’s report, All Work and Low Pay, confirms what my instincts … Read more

Real Living Wage could add an additional £89m to Scotland’s economy 

Analysis shows greater take up of real Living Wage could boost Scotland’s economy by £89m.  If just a quarter of Scotland’s low earners saw their pay raised to the real Living Wage based on everyday needs, a subsequent increase in wages, productivity and spending could deliver an £89m economic boost to Scotland’s economy, according to new research published by the Living … Read more

Low Pay in the Third Sector not improved in five years

New research shows low pay continues to be an issue in the UK’s third sector and is a particular issue for women, disabled workers, those from racialised groups and part time workers.  A fifth (17%) of workers in the third sector earn below the Living Wage, amounting to 388,000 workers. In Scotland, the figure is higher – with 18.4% of workers in … Read more

Low-paid workers forced to regularly skip meals during pandemic

New research Life on Low Pay in the Pandemic from the Living Wage Foundation shows the impact of low pay during the pandemic, with two-thirds of UK workers earning below the real Living Wage experiencing a fall in earnings since the pandemic began. Over a quarter of low-paid workers in the UK (amounting to over … Read more