NI Chamber and the Larder Belfast are among the latest to join the Living Wage movement. Despite a challenging economic environment for businesses, more than 200 employers across Northern Ireland have now voluntarily committed to paying the real Living Wage; another significant milestone that highlights the growing recognition among local employers that fair pay isn’t just good for employees, it’s also good for business.

The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate independently calculated based on the cost of living, ensuring that workers receive a fair wage that meets the cost of living.

Advice NI launched Living Wage NI in the summer of 2024, in partnership with the Living Wage Foundation and the Department for the Economy. Previously, Northern Ireland had been the only nation of the UK without a local body promoting the real Living Wage and accrediting employers. The number of accredited employers has increased from 82 to 206 in less than 2 years, representing a phenomenal150% increase.

Mary McManus, Regional Manager for Living Wage NI said, “We’re delighted to share this good news as the new year begins. In promoting the real Living Wage, we work with a variety of local employers who are proud to sign up to a fair pay standard. These accreditations provide over 5000 pay rises every year reducing in-work poverty. SMEs are the backbone of the Living Wage movement; this is a good news story about them.”

Living Wage

The current real Living Wage is set at £13.45 per hour across the UK and £14.80 per hour in London, significantly higher than the government’s National Living Wage of £12.21, which applies only to workers aged 21 and over.

NI Chamber and Larder Belfast are among the latest employers to commit to the network in Northern Ireland which now includes a diverse range of organisations in various sectors including investment, commerce, infrastructure, educational institutions and independent retailers.

Mary continued, “Northern Ireland has the second highest rate of employees paid below the Living Wage in the UK, with 17.3 per cent of jobs – equating to 203,000 workers – falling below this threshold. This compares to 11.3 per cent in Scotland. Increasing the number of employers who pay the real Living Wage is crucial in addressing this gap. Recent research by the Living Wage Foundation shows that as inflation grew low paid workers have struggled to make ends meet, with two in five, 42 per cent, having been forced to use foodbanks in the past year, rising to over half of low-paid workers with dependent children.”

More and more employers are recognising that paying the Living Wage also benefits their businesses. Across the UK, the number of Living Wage Employers has been growing yearly – with 2340 joining in 2025 alone. Employers have reported improvements in recruitment, retention, and reputation, with 94 per cent of Living Wage employers noting business benefits from their accreditation, according to research by Cardiff Business School.

Louise Ferguson Community Co-ordinator at the Larder Belfast, commented on the organisation’s accreditation and echoed the sentiment of the research, “Paying the Living Wage is an extension of our values – if we exist to reduce hardship and promote dignity and agency, that must begin with how we treat our own staff.”