In some industries, an alarmingly high number of jobs are paid below the Living Wage. For instance, in hotels and restaurants over half of workers (53.6%) are low paid by this definition.

Women were nearly 50% more likely to be low paid than men, with 18.7% of jobs held by women being paid below the real Living Wage, compared to 12.6% of jobs held by men.

Some areas see a higher concentration of jobs below the Living Wage rate.

For instance Northern Ireland (20.6% of jobs), the North East (19.2%) and the East Midlands (18.8%).

With nearly all jobs in the UK paying at least 2/3 the average hourly rate, is low pay a thing of the past?

Unfortunately not. 15.7% of employee jobs in the UK (4.5 million jobs) were paid below the real Living Wage in April 2024. That's 800,000 more jobs than a year earlier.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Offering better pay and security of hours, alongside improvements in transport and safety, could let more of those pulling the night shift access a job that works for them.

Around 1 in 4 people who work in London usually work in the evening or at night, a figure that hasn’t changed much. Night time work isn’t going anywhere.

Certain demographics are more likely to work at night, and thus more exposed to the low pay and insecurity that currently comes with it.

Trying to plan childcare, social activities, or just time with the family is made difficult by short notice for shifts.

69% of those with variable hours told us they sometimes get less than a week’s notice.

This means uncertainty about when people will work or how much they’ll get paid.

57% of people who work at night in London agreed that they often have to work on short notice, while 49% said that they have little say over when they do or do not work at night.

Given the vital role of night time work in London's economy and culture, it's concerning to find that many workers experience low pay and job insecurity.

People who work at night are twice as likely as others to be in an insecure job.