A fifth of Solihull workers to see hourly wage rise

ONE in five Solihull workers will see their pay increase following the introduction of the National Living Wage yesterday.

Under new rules, announced by the Chancellor last year, those aged 25 and over must be paid a minimum of £7.20 an hour (50p more than the previous minimum wage.)
Research by the Resolution Foundation think tank found that across the borough, 20 per cent of employees stand to gain. Interestingly, this is exactly the same percentage as those who will benefit over the border in Birmingham.
While the figure cover the borough as a whole, the proportion of North Solihull residents set to see their pay rise is likely to be considerably higher.
Previous studies have shown that the average pay packet is less in the three "regeneration wards" and Solihull Council statistics reveal that a third of those employed in Chelmsley Wood work in retail - one of the sectors where the Living Wage will have the biggest impact.
While the Government has said that the change will be a big boost for lower earners, political opponents argue that the increase will not make up for previous reduction in support for working families.