Greater Manchester has become the first city-region to be officially recognised by the Living Wage Foundation for its plans to become a Living Wage City Region.
It is aiming to increase the number of accredited Living Wage Employers from 384 to 650 in three years, and for all employees across the 10 boroughs to be paid the real Living Wage by 2030.
Earlier this year, a dedicated taskforce was set up to bring local authorities, businesses, unions, faith groups and voluntary and charitable organisations together to drive forward the plans.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “We’re proud to be the UK’s leading Living Wage City-Region. It’s a testament to the work we’ve done across our 10 boroughs, with businesses, the VCSE sector and other organisations, to show that paying the real Living Wage is not only the right thing for communities – it’s the right thing for employers too.’
Currently nearly 384 employers in the city-region have been granted Living Wage Employer status. Around 194,000 jobs - roughly 19% of all jobs in the city-region – pay less than the real Living Wage.
Mayor Burnham added: 'We’ve made great progress but, with the rising cost of living felt sharply in some of the most disadvantaged places, we know there’s still a long way to go.'
