Tue, 01 Apr 2025

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 How much more will low paid workers get in their wages?

The new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

* Up to 170,000 low-paid workers in Northern Ireland will receive a pay rise on Tuesday
* The National Living Wage for over-21s will increase by 6.7% from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour
* The National Minimum Wage for 18-20 year olds will rise by 16% from £8.60 to £10 per hour
* The National Minimum Wage for under-18s will increase by 18% from £6.40 to £7.55 per hour
* Employers will have to pay the increased wages, on top of a rise in employers' National Insurance contributions
* A company that employs around 3,500 people says the combined impact of these changes is an extra £2.5m, which it will struggle to pass on to clients
* The company's chief strategy officer describes the change as "frustrating" and says businesses need to be more efficient to cope with the increased costs
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