William Eichler 29 April 2024

Wages below 2008 levels in two thirds of council areas

Wages below 2008 levels in two thirds of council areas image
Image: ShaunWilkinson / Shutterstock.com.

Real wages are still below 2008 levels in nearly two-thirds of UK local authority areas, a new TUC analysis has revealed.

Over a decade and a half on from the global financial crisis, wages are set to be lower – in real terms – in 212 out of 340 UK local authorities in 2024.

Millions of workers are experiencing the ‘longest pay squeeze in more than 200 years’, according to the TUC.

London has the highest share of real wage blackspots, with real pay lower than in 2008 in nearly all (94%) of its local authorities. The South East is close behind with 78%.

Lower-paid regions of the UK have also endured wage stagnation. In the North East, for example, real wages are still lower than in 2008 in half (50%) of local authority areas.

Half a century in the chamber image

Half a century in the chamber

Cllr Dr James Walsh was elected to Arun District Council in 1975. Here he tells LocalGov what he's learned about trust, transformation and keeping it local.
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