News / jobs
56,000 working age adults in Bristol living in poverty
Jobs created as part of efforts to rebuild Britain’s economy must be of good quality and not leave people in ‘working poverty,’ warns the TUC.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is calling for the minimum wage to be raised to £10 an hour, arguing millions of workers are currently denied a share of the wealth and pointing out that businesses won’t recover if consumers have nothing to spend.
The warning comes after analysis of recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed working-age poverty in the South West has barely fallen since 2010/11, despite regional unemployment falling significantly in the years before the pandemic.
Among people of working age (defined as 16 to 64) in Bristol, the TUC estimates 56,029 are currently living in poverty, with a total of 597,000 adults in poverty across the South West.
TUC regional secretary for the South West Nigel Costley says: “Hard work should pay off for everyone, no matter who you are or the job you do. But millions of our workers are denied a fair share of the wealth they create.
“The prime minister keeps talking about levelling up – let’s see it for the low paid. Get the minimum wage up to £10 an hour without delay. And give key workers the pay rise they earned.
“This isn’t just about doing the right thing for workers. High streets and businesses across the South West, including Bristol, won’t recover if people have nothing to spend. Pay growth is fuel in the tank. It will drive our recovery much faster, supporting business growth and job creation.”
The proportion of working-age people living in poverty was 20 per cent in 2010/11, and 19 per cent in 2019/20, according to the latest ONS figures.
This is despite unemployment in the South West falling from 6.4 per cent in 2011 to 3.2 per cent in 2020.
The TUC analysed the number of households on below-average incomes and unemployment figures from the ONS Labour Force Surveys in 1994/95 and 2019/20.
Percentages for each area were estimated by apportioning the total number of workers in working-age poverty with the overall working-age population.
The TUC is calling on the government to improve pay and increase the supply of well-paid work through a number of measures, that also include making the £20 increase in universal credit permanent and raising statutory sick pay.
Main photo by Josh Rundle
Read more: Invest in new jobs for faster, greener recovery, urges TUC
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
