Low Pay Britain: Failure to act risks generating growth which once again disproportionately benefits a minority

A new report by the Resolution Foundation shows that the number of people earning less than a living wage – the pay rate deemed sufficient to achieve a minimum standard of living – increased from 3.3 million in 2006 to 4.8 million in 2012. Matthew Whittaker summarises the report, pointing out that the risk of economic insecurity is especially high for women and the young, and that there is support for the theory of growing polarisation in the labour market. There’s a real risk that any recovery built on the backs of a large pool of low paid workers is likely to undermine itself very quickly.