Posted by Jake on Saturday, December 21, 2013 with 2 comments | Labels: Article, Austerity, benefits, Big Society, Graphs, Guest, inequality, jobs, pay
These graphs are from the Joseph Rowntree Trust:
In 2012 5.1 million people were paid less than a living wage, defined nationally at £7.45 per hour. This is about one in five of the UK workforce (made up of approximately 29 million people in 2012 according to the Office of National Statistics).
Over 70% of jobs done by the 18-21 year age group were 'low paid'.
Most low paid jobs in the Public Sector were held by those over 40 years of age.
The Joseph Roundtree stuff is complete dross.
ReplyDeleteThe living wage figure is already an average of *different* minimum wages required by different family types.
(From 2011 figures...)
Living wage for a couple is £6 each - they would be laughing on £7.20 each. Not 'low paid' at all.
Living wage for a single (by far the most numerous household type) is £8.50 - so £7.20 would still leave them well short.
Using rough and ready figues (like an average minimum wage) and then building more rough and ready indexes based on it is very, very stupid.
The Joseph Roundtree 'experts' and their figures/conclusions should be given a very, very wide birth. Their complete incompetence would seem to make them far better suited to be 'climate scientists.'.
FWIW It seems that the Joseph Roundtree idiots overstate the issue for older people who may be couples (with upto 2 children), but hugely understate if for the young who are more likely to be single.
Rowntree. Joseph Rowntree. No opinion on whether the rest of your comment is as accurate.
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