It has been confirmed that the national minimum wage will be risen to €9.15 per hour from, January 1st, 2016.
The news comes after the Low pay commission recommended that the current minimum wage be raised from €8.65 to a higher rate in order to keep inline with fellow EU states who currently have a similar wage structure. The announcement of a higher pay grade is welcomed by the Minister for Business and Employment Ged Nash who said, workers, particularly women and young people, would see a direct increase in their pay packets from the start of 2016. Mr Nash also claimed that approximately 124,000 workers would benefit from the 50C increase, in their hourly rate.
According to Mr Nash a single person on the new minimum wage working a full time job of 39 hours per week will be better off by €14 per week as a result of the new wage structure. The Labour minister told reporters: “It is a core belief of mine that work should always pay, and I am very glad to be delivering a much needed pay increase to those who earn least in society,” said Mr Nash. “While the increases are modest, I am determined to see everyone, not just the better off, sharing in our economic prosperity.”