The number of employers in Northern Ireland voluntarily paying the Real Living Wage has more than doubled over the past two years, rising from 82 to 212 accredited businesses. Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald welcomed the milestone at an event celebrating 25 years since the grassroots fair pay campaign began, though new figures reveal Northern Ireland still holds the second-highest rate of low-paid work in the UK.
Accreditation Milestone Reached at Imagine Festival
Dr Archibald joined representatives from Living Wage NI at the Imagine Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics to mark the growth in accredited employers. Launched in 2024 as a partnership between Advice NI and the Living Wage Foundation, the programme has seen a 150% increase in participating businesses in under two years. It is funded by the Department for the Economy.
The Minister highlighted the tangible benefits for workers and households:
“I want to commend Advice NI and Living Wage NI for their continued leadership in promoting the Real Living Wage. These 212 employers collectively provide over 5,000 pay uplifts every year, demonstrating the impact of the movement on workers and households.
It is encouraging to see so many employers stepping forward to ensure their staff are paid a wage that better reflects the cost of living. This uplift in accreditation shows real progress toward our ambition of creating more Good Jobs across the economy.”
Dr Archibald urged other businesses to follow suit, noting that fair pay strengthens staff retention, enhances wellbeing and builds a more resilient workforce.
The Scale of Low Pay Remains Stark
Despite the growth in accreditation, Northern Ireland continues to struggle with endemic low pay. According to the Living Wage Foundation’s 2025 analysis, 17.3% of jobs in the region—approximately 203,000 positions—pay below the Real Living Wage, giving Northern Ireland the second-highest rate of low pay in the UK after the North East of England.
The problem is particularly acute in specific sectors and demographics:
- Hospitality: Nearly three in four (72%) jobs in the sector pay below the Real Living Wage, up 11.7 percentage points from 2024
- Youth employment: In 2025, almost 75% of workers aged 18-21 earned less than the Real Living Wage
- Geographic disparities: Causeway Coast and Glens has the highest rate of low pay in Northern Ireland at 29%, ranking 15th highest across the entire UK
- Gender gap: Women remain disproportionately affected, with 18% earning below the Real Living Wage compared to 13.2% of men
Mary McManus, Regional Manager of Living Wage NI, placed the local numbers in historical context:
“For 25 years, the real Living Wage movement has transformed fair pay in the UK. What began with low‑paid workers organising for fair pay in east London has become one of the most successful civil society campaigns of the 21st century. Today, over 16,000 UK employers, including 212 in Northern Ireland, are accredited. We urge more local employers to join them and commit to the standard for good work. With nearly one in six workers in NI still earning below the real Living Wage, fair pay matters now more than ever.”
Understanding the Gap Between Minimum and Living Wages
The Real Living Wage stands at £13.45 per hour across Northern Ireland, significantly higher than the government’s National Living Wage of £12.71 per hour due to take effect from 1 April 2026. Crucially, the Real Living Wage applies to all workers aged 18 and over, while the statutory minimum applies only to those aged 21 and over.
The Real Living Wage is independently calculated by the Resolution Foundation based on the actual cost of living, including housing, food, and utilities, whereas the National Living Wage is set by the Low Pay Commission based on median earnings targets.
According to the press release notes, the proportion of workers receiving the Real Living Wage has grown from 79% to 81% year-on-year, representing roughly 25,000 workers moving from below the threshold to at or above it.
Questions Over Strategy and Support
While the growth in accredited employers is welcome, the press release offers limited detail on how the Department for the Economy plans to address the persistent concentration of low pay in specific sectors and regions. Several questions remain unanswered:
- With hospitality showing a 72% low-pay rate, will Living Wage NI receive specific funding or mandates to target high-volume, low-margin sectors where accreditation remains rare?
- Given that Causeway Coast and Glens has nearly double the low-pay rate of Belfast, how will the programme address geographic inequality and rural employer engagement?
- As the Government’s National Living Wage continues to lag £0.74 behind the Real Living Wage, should public sector procurement rules be amended to require Real Living Wage accreditation for contract eligibility?
- With three-quarters of young workers (18-21) earning below the Real Living Wage, will the Department introduce specific incentives for employers to adopt the higher rate for younger staff?
- The programme currently receives £125,000 annually—is this funding level sufficient to achieve meaningful coverage given that over 200,000 workers in Northern Ireland still earn below the Real Living Wage?
What to Watch For
The growth from 82 to 212 employers represents genuine momentum for the Living Wage movement in Northern Ireland, particularly given the region previously lacked any local accreditation body. However, with 17.3% of the workforce still earning below the cost-of-living threshold, the programme must scale significantly to shift the regional economy.
Employers interested in accreditation can access guidance through Living Wage NI. The coming months will reveal whether the current growth rate can be sustained—or accelerated—to address the concentration of low pay in hospitality, retail, and rural areas.