NEW figures show that there has been an uptake in employers paying the voluntary living wage in Carlisle.
The Living Wage Foundation encourages employers to sign up to pay a 'real' living wage, which is higher than the minimum wage and tied in to represent living costs.
The rate, which is calculated by a group of economists, applies to employees aged 18 and over and currently stands at £9.90 per hour across the UK and £11.05 in London, to reflect higher prices in the capital.
In comparison, the Government's living wage stands at £9.50 per hour for those 23 and above, and £9.18 for those aged 21 and over.
According to the Living Wage Foundation interactive map, Carlisle has eleven accredited living wage employers - a drastic rise in comparison to five years ago in which there was only one.
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Included in the higher wage offering within the city centre is Pearson PLC; Lloyds Banking Group; Nationwide Building Society; Oxfam Bookshop; The Cumberland; Barclays Bank PLC; Santander UK; Savills; Brewdog and Creditfix Limited.
Falling within the city's outskirts also comes A-Plant, a tool hire company, and also Pioneer Foodservice.
Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said the cost-of-living crisis has made increasing wages for the low-paid "more important than ever".
She said paying the living wage is not only "the right thing to do for struggling workers and families, but it’s also good for businesses, with employers benefitting from greater staff morale and productivity, and reduced staff absenteeism and turnover".
The foundation announced in May that 10,000 employers had signed up to the scheme – covering nearly 350,000 workers, or around 1 in 13 employees in the UK.
As of July 1, there were 10,765 organisations paying the real living wage across the UK, up from 8,107 in 2021 and 3,383 in 2017.
Across the North West, there are 985 real living wage employers, an increase from 273 in 2017.
READ MORE: Cost of living: Wages lagging heavily behind inflation
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