Eighty-two employers in the city now signed up to Oxford Living Wage

The new national Living Wage rates are rising to £10.90 an hour across the UK (£1 increase), and £11.95 an hour in London (90p increase).

Oxford is regularly named as the least affordable place to live in the country. The Oxford Living Wage, which is administered by Oxford City Council, is set at 95% of the London Living Wage and aims to recognise the high cost of living in the city.

The Oxford Living Wage rate will rise from the current rate of £10.50 per hour to the new rate of £11.35 from 5 April 2023.

Since April 2022, 82 businesses and organisations have been accredited as part of the City Council’s Oxford Living Wage employer recognition scheme.

Oxford City Council is hosting an event at the Town Hall in December 2022 to thank the many businesses in the city signed up to pay staff the Oxford Living Wage.

The event gives businesses a chance to network and hear from other employers about the benefits of being part of the scheme.

Employers who already pay the Oxford Living Wage are also being encouraged by the City Council to get accredited so they can get wider recognition.

The Oxford Living Wage

The Oxford Living Wage is an hourly minimum pay that promotes liveable earnings for all workers in the city.

Eighty-two businesses and organisations in the city have already signed up, and the live list can be viewed on our website.

Why pay the Oxford Living Wage?

Offering the Oxford Living Wage can help employers improve both recruitment and retention.

Research from the Living Wage Foundation presents a good case for incentivising employers to pay its Oxford-based equivalent. Living Wage employers report benefits in working relations and retention rates. For example:

• 86% of employers say it has improved the reputation of the business
• 75% say it has increased motivation and retention rates amongst employees
• 58% say it improved relations between managers and their staff

The City Council’s employer recognition scheme is simple and free and offers businesses the opportunity to benefit from being an accredited Oxford Living Wage employer.

“These are tough times for businesses, so it’s heartening to see so many employers committing to paying their staff a proper living wage. This will undoubtedly play a big part in attracting job applicants and retaining them.

“We’ve seen a significant rise in the number of businesses taking part in the scheme and now have eighty two separate organisations accredited as paying the Oxford Living Wage.

“The Council has a corporate objective to build a fairer economy for everybody, and paying everyone a decent wage in such a high-cost city is a key part of it becoming a reality.”

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council