UK’s minimum wage to go up by 6.7 pct next year

LONDON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) — The national minimum wage of the United Kingdom (UK) will rise from 11.44 to 12.21 British pounds (15.87 U.S. dollars) per hour from April 2025, the UK government announced on Tuesday.
A statement from the Treasury said the 6.7 percent increase in the national living wage will provide an additional 1,400 pounds annually for a full-time worker aged 21 or over, benefiting more than 3 million people across the country.
The statement said the national minimum wage for 18 to 20-year-olds will also rise from 8.6 to 10 pounds an hour, the largest rise on record.
“This 1.4-pound increase will mean full-time younger workers eligible for the rate will see their pay boosted by 2,500 pounds next year,” said the Treasury.
The announcement came ahead of the new Labour government’s first budget on Wednesday. (1 British pound = 1.3 U.S. dollar) ■