An article from the 3rd October 2016
Workers earning the national minimum wage (NMW) have received a pay rise as of 1 October 2016. 270,000 workers aged 21 – 24 earning the NMW have seen their hourly wage rise by 25p an hour to £6.95. Those working 35 hours a week will see their annual income rise by £450 a year. Workers aged under 21 and apprentices will also see their minimum rate of pay raised.
The following rates now apply as of 1 October 2016:
| Age | From October 2016 | Before October 2016 |
| 25 and over | £7.20 | £7.20 |
| 21-24 | £6.95 | £6.70 |
| 18-20 | £5.55 | £5.30 |
| 16-17 | £4.00 | £3.87 |
| Apprentices* | £3.40 | £3.30 |
*Apprentices aged 16-18 and those aged 19 or over who are in their first year.
The wage rise follows the introduction of the national living wage (NLW) of £7.20 an hour for workers aged 25 and over from April 2016. All workers are entitled to the NMW and NLW respectively. Employers who fail to pay the correct wage will be subjected to a penalty fine and may be named by the government.
Our comments on this article
Some of the UK’s lowest paid workers, who are aged 21-24 will rejoice in the news that the National minimum wage has increased by 25p per hour. The new increased hourly pay of £6.95 can mean an additional £450 earned for those working 35 hours a week.
This is part of the governments drive in establishing UK’s economy post-Brexit. This is good news for the hardworking young people and would provide a welcomed boost since the recession.
Talk to us today about the National Minimum Wage