London Living Wage Research - Introduction

Researching the living wage in the UK 2001–2014

Professor Jane Wills, formerly of the School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, currently at the University of Exeter.

I have been tracking the development of the living wage campaign since it was launched by London Citizens in Walthamstow, east London, in 2001.

During that time, the campaign has spread to the national scale and is now led by the Living Wage Foundation.

You can find the following information by using the links to additional pages and files:

• 2016 is a significant year - it is 15 years since the launch of the campaign and 5 years since the formation of the Living Wage Foundation. To celebrate these achievements, founding partner, QMUL produced this short film.
• Jane Wills talks about the living wage for the Queen Mary media team in 2014.
• Data tracking the impact of the living wage in London.
• Data tracking the impact of the national Living Wage Foundation.
• A report into the impact of the living wage in organisations accredited by the Living Wage Foundation [PDF 1,867KB], across the UK, November 2013.
• A short film features workers, their managers, employers, politicians and civil society leaders saying why they support the living wage. Made to support Living Wage Week 2013, the film was produced by Mile End Films and funded by the Centre for Public Engagement (both at Queen Mary University of London) with the full support of the Living Wage Foundation.
• A report mapping the costs and benefits of the London living wage [PDF 3,363KB], written with Brian Linneker, for Trust for London in 2012.
• A report into the experience of Queen Mary being the first living wage campus in the UK [PDF 1,552KB], published in 2009.
• A list of these and additional publications capturing experience of the living wage in the UK.
• A short history of the living wage campaign.
• Mapping the gap between the National Minimum Wage, the London and UK Living Wage rates 2003-2012
• A short chronology of the early living wage campaign in London.
• A summary of the research project [PDF 2,083KB] completed as part of the ESRC’s Identity and Social Action research programme, exploring the coalition behind the living wage campaign and workers’ experiences of the campaign.
• A series of pictures by Chris Clunn, commissioned as part of the ESRC’s Identity and Social Action research programme.

 

Mapping the gap between the National Minimum Wage, the London and UK Living Wage rates 2003–2012

Year	NMW*	LLW*	Difference	Diff %	LLW w/o benefits	LW rest of UK***	Difference UK: London LW
2003	4.5	6.30	1.8	40	–	–	–
2004	4.85	6.50	1.65	34	–	–	–
2005	5.05	6.70	1.65	33	8.10	–	–
2006	5.35	7.05	1.70	32	9.00	–	–
2007	5.52	7.20	1.68	30	9.15	–	–
2008	5.73	7.45	1.72	30	9.60	–	–
2009	5.80	7.60	1.80	31	9.85	–	–
2010	5.93	7.85	1.92	32	10.15	–	–
2011	6.08	8.30	2.22	36	10.40	7.20	1.12
2012	6.19	8.55	2.36	38	10.70	7.45	1.46
2013	6.31	8.80	2.49	39.5	11.30	7.65	1.15
2014	6.50	9.15	2.65	41	11.65	7.85	1.30
2015	6.70	9.40	2.70	40		8.25	1.15
2016	7.20	9.75	2.55	35		8.45	1.30

* set by the Government funded Low Pay Commission (http://www.lowpay.gov.uk)
** calculated by the GLA from 2005 (http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/economic_unit/workstreams/living-wage.jsp)
*** calculated by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University.