Oxford City Council has announced the Oxford Living Wage (OLW) will increase to £14.68 per hour in 2027, echoing the 4.4%% increase in the London Living Wage.
Accredited employers will need to implement the new rate by 6 April 2027.
OLW was launched in 2018 to help workers earn enough to meet the city's living costs, particularly given its status as one of the UK's most expensive cities. It is reviewed annually and set at 95% of the Living Wage Foundation’s London Living Wage.
This year, the Living Wage Foundation has updated the methodology used to calculate the Real and London Living Wage, combining measures of the cost of living with a new poverty threshold based on 60% of median income. The change is designed to ensure the rate continues to reflect a minimum acceptable standard of living for working households.
About the Oxford Living Wage
OLW is a voluntary rate that employers can choose to adopt to go beyond the statutory National Living Wage to ensure that employees earn enough to meet everyday needs.
It is simple and free for employers to join, and it promotes livable earnings for all workers in the city. The Council’s recognition scheme helps to make it easier for potential employees to find employers that pay it.
This year, the Council celebrated hitting a campaign milestone of 200 OLW employers. It has since hit 210 employers, the highest number since the initiative launched.
The Council wants to encourage as many organisations as possible to commit to the new rate now and help to make the city a fairer place.
Find out about the benefits of paying a living wage, and all the accredited employers on the City Council’s website.
Comment
"This year, over 210 local organisations signed up to pay their staff at least the Oxford Living Wage. That means thousands more local people are now paid a fairer wage!
“As we plan for 2027/278, I would absolutely encourage all current employers, and many others in the city, to commit to paying their staff the Oxford Living Wage and help to make this better and fairer city.”
Councillor Mark Lygo, Cabinet Member for a Healthy, Fairer Oxford
