Workers in the North West still £35 a week worse off than before the crash, says TUC

New official figures published today (Wednesday) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that workers in the North West are still £35 a week worse off than they were before the financial crash, according to the TUC.

The ONS figures show that in 2016 real wages in the North West were 6.4% below their 2008 level.

With inflation predicted to overtake wage growth in 2017, the TUC is worried that another living standards crisis is on the horizon.

TUC Regional Secretary Lynn Collins said: “Many families in our region still haven’t recovered from the financial crash. The last thing they need is another hit to their pay packets.

“But with inflation set to outstrip wages next year, we are on the cusp of another living standards crisis.

“The government must do all it can to prevent this by investing in our roads, railways and homes. This will help create the kind of decent jobs that people can live on.

“And the Chancellor must protect low-paid workers by continuing to increase the minimum wage.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The calculations are based on median gross weekly earnings for full time employees, from Table 12 of ‘ASHE 1997 to 2016 selected estimates’ dataset. An adjustment has been made for the change of industrial classification from 2011. Prices effects are removed using the government’s preferred CPI measure of annual inflation for April of each year through to April 2016.