One third of all the workers in Sutton are paid below the London Living Wage, it has been revealed.

According to the think-tank New Policy Institute (NPI), Sutton has the second highest rate of poorly paid jobs in London, with 34 per cent of all jobs in 2015/2016 being paid below the London Living Wage.

Sutton is beaten only by Waltham Forest, which had 37 per cent of all jobs paid below the London Living Wage.

The NPI also says that the rate of low paid jobs has increased by almost two-thirds across London in the past 10 years, despite falling very slightly during 2016.

The data shows that the five boroughs (Bexley, Harrow, Enfield, Sutton and Waltham Forest) with the highest proportion of jobs paid below the London Living Wage are all in outer London. All of these five boroughs have over 30 per cent of their jobs paid below the London Living Wage.  

However, the five boroughs with the lowest levels of jobs paid below the London Living Wage (Tower Hamlets, Islington, Southwark, Camden, and Westminster) are all in inner London. Not one of these five boroughs had more than 15 per cent of jobs paid below the London Living Wage.

On October 31, it was announced that the London Living Wage would raise to £9.75 per hour. This data is based on the previous London Living Wage of £9.40.

According to the NPI, the lowest paid jobs in the capital can be found in the hotel and restaurant sector, where 64 per cent of employees are paid below the London Living Wage, and the retail and wholesale sector where 29 per cent of staff are low paid. 

The NPI is funded by independent charity Trust for London.

Director of policy and grants at Trust for London, Mubin Haq, said: “This latest data reveals a worrying picture for Sutton, with the amount of low-paid jobs in the borough having increased by six percentage points, mirroring a trend across outer London.

“Sadiq Khan has made a positive commitment to making the capital a Living Wage city. This data shows that whilst there has been a halt in the rise of low pay across London overall, there is still a long way to go to making sure Londoners are paid fairly, with many boroughs struggling.

“Nearly 3,000 employers have committed to paying a Living Wage, with more than 1,000 in London accredited with the Living Wage Foundation. That’s a great step in the right direction but many more need to sign up.

“Not only is it good for employees but it’s also good for companies, with clear evidence that retention rates improve.”

To see the full statistics, click here. 

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