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Issue date
• Data shows 151,000 more people in region are being paid below minimum wage compared to 2019
• Union body calls for furlough payments to have minimum wage floor
• Average weekly pay down across region, North Yorkshire hit hardest
• TUC calls on Yorkshire’s Conservative MPs to act

New ONS data released today (Tuesday) shows 151,000 more workers are being paid below the minimum wage across Yorkshire, compared with the previous year, with 112,000 of these workers on the government’s furlough scheme.

Further data shows that average gross weekly earnings across the region are down compared to 2019, with workers living in the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s district of Richmondshire being hit particularly hard, missing £40 a week compared to last year. Wages for residents in Leeds are £23 lower, Wakefield are £16 lower, and Sheffield residents are losing out by £30 a week.

TUC Regional Secretary Bill Adams said:  

“Furlough pay must never fall below the national minimum wage. Working people in Yorkshire face a long, hard winter. We are calling on Conservative MPs in Yorkshire to push the government to act, to prevent more hardship for families.

“We need to see urgent government support, including a minimum wage floor to furlough payments, to ensure no one is left earning below minimum wage.

“We need a boost to Universal Credit and government should not abandon the self-employed. And we will not control the virus unless the government fixes the test and trace system and the scandal of workers asked to self-isolate without decent sick pay.”

ENDS

Editors note


 

All jobs below NMW: Includes all furloughed employees

Yorkshire & Humber

Employees (thousands)

2004

24

2005

28

2006

23

2007

24

2008

27

2009

22

2010

23

2011

27

2012

32

2013

30

2014

20

2015

23

2016

38

2017

36

2018

40

2019

36

2020

187 (75*)

* indicates figure which excludes furloughed employees at reduced rates of pay

Weekly gross earnings – Annual (real) change 2020 (median)

Description

Code

2019

2019 real

2020

Change in pay (£)

Yorkshire and The Humber

E12000003

429.4

433.0

432.6

-0.4

East Riding of Yorkshire

E06000011

472.3

476.3

438.2

-38.1

Kingston upon Hull

E06000010

392.6

395.9

387.5

-8.4

North East Lincolnshire

E06000012

400.1

403.4

438

34.6

North Lincolnshire

E06000013

390.7

394.0

396.8

2.8

York

E06000014

452.9

456.7

440.4

-16.3

North Yorkshire

E10000023

434.8

438.4

429.8

-8.6

  Craven

E07000163

374.4

377.5

357.4

-20.1

  Hambleton

E07000164

467

470.9

431.7

-39.2

  Harrogate

E07000165

467.2

471.1

432.7

-38.4

  Richmondshire

E07000166

419.5

423.0

382.1

-40.9

  Ryedale

E07000167

371.9

375.0

412.4

37.4

  Scarborough

E07000168

387.7

390.9

415.8

24.9

  Selby

E07000169

492.7

496.8

489.9

-6.9

South Yorkshire Met County

E11000003

428.4

432.0

418.3

-13.7

  Barnsley

E08000016

435.6

439.2

421.2

-18.0

  Doncaster

E08000017

419.3

422.8

432.4

9.6

  Rotherham

E08000018

412.5

416.0

402.8

-13.2

  Sheffield

E08000019

438.5

442.2

412.4

-29.8

West Yorkshire Met County

E11000006

431.2

434.8

447.4

12.6

  Bradford

E08000032

412.6

416.1

437.7

21.6

  Calderdale

E08000033

444.7

448.4

448.4

0.0

  Kirklees

E08000034

421.3

424.8

437.1

12.3

  Leeds

E08000035

453.5

457.3

480.7

23.4

  Wakefield

E08000036

417.6

421.1

405

-16.1

 

- The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together more than 5.5 million working people who make up our 48 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.


Contacts:

Gareth Forest (Lewis)
glewis@tuc.org.uk
0113 200 1075
07810 374976

TUC national press office 
media@tuc.org.uk  
020 7467 1248 

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