Minimum wage is going up today but what does this mean for younger workers?

What are the government doing?

The government’s plan to Make Work Pay committed to make sure the minimum wage is a real living wage that people can live on and to remove discriminatory age bands to ensure every adult worker benefits– that would mean all adult workers would earn the same minimum wage. Today is a step towards that. The minimum wage will be increasing for all and importantly the gap between the minimum wage for those under and over 21 will narrow.  

The rates are set to rise as follows. 

What does this mean for young workers? 

New analysis from the TUC, shows what young workers are set to receive. On average, when earning Minimum Wage:  

• 16-17 year olds are set to see their annual salary increase by £700 if they work 12 hours a week.1 If they worked full-time the salary increase would be £2,000.
• 18-20 year olds are set to see their annual salary increase by £1,800 if they work 24.2 hours a week.2 If they worked full-time the salary increase would be over £2,500.
• 21-30 year olds are set to see their annual salary increase by £1,300 if they work 32.6 hours a week.3 If they worked full-time the salary increase would be £1,400. 

But we know that knowledge of workplace rights is low for young people and government inspectors regularly identify millions of pounds of minimum wage underpayments.  

So, we need to make sure that young workers actually get the money in their pockets. Therefore, if you’re on minimum wage, check you are being paid correctly using the TUC's minimum wage calculator. And if your friends or family are as well, send it to them too!

What more do we want to see? 

Today is an important step forward and we wouldn’t be here without campaigning by union members who have long called for rises to the minimum wage and an end to discriminatory age bands. And we will continue to campaign until they are removed altogether. 

It’s simply unfair that young workers can be paid less for doing the same job as those older than them. Young workers, like many others, struggle to afford the basics; whether that’s travel to work, food and energy, or a home to rent, so why shouldn’t they be paid the same.   

Throughout the history of the minimum wage, we have had to endure the same doomsday arguments repeatedly – that increasing pay will need to job losses. But these have never materialised and in recent years the minimum wage has increased significantly without a negative impact on jobs. 

TUC Minimum Wage Calculator

• 1 The average hours worked for people of this age
• 2 The average hours worked for people of this age
• 3 The average hours worked for people of this age