THE Mayor of the Tees Valley has called on companies to 'step up' as figures showed one in four North-East jobs pay below the newly announced 'real living wage' of £9 an hour.
Research from the Living Wage Foundation suggests the minimum wage for over-25s is £1.17 less per hour than the independently calculated living wage, which aims to reflect an increased cost of living.
While 4,700 UK businesses voluntarily pay the living wage rate, with 89 of those headquartered in the North-East, the Foundation's research found that one in four jobs in the region pay below it.
Tees Valley mayor, Ben Houchen, said: "As our local economy grows, it is important local people grow with it.
"The authority I lead pays the Living Wage, but local companies also need to step up to ensure their workers are paid a fair and decent wage. We already have a number of fantastic firms in the region who are leading by example and I look forward to seeing this number grow."
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