A RISING number of employers are paying the voluntary living wage in Somerset West and Taunton, new figures show.

The Living Wage Foundation encourages employers to sign up to pay a “real” living wage, which is higher than the minimum wage and pegged to living costs.

The rate, which is calculated by a group of economists and applies to employees aged 18 and over, currently stands at £9.90 per hour across the UK and £11.05 in London.

For comparison, the government’s living wage stands at £9.50 per hour for people aged 23 and over, and £9.18 for over 21s.

Figures shared with RADAR show there were nine accredited real living wage employers in Somerset West and Taunton as of the start of July – up from four at the same point last year and one five years ago.

The soaring cost of fuel, energy and food has put wages under the spotlight.

Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said the cost-of-living crisis has made increasing wages for the low-paid “more important than ever”. She said paying the living wage is not only “the right thing to do for struggling workers and families, but it’s also good for businesses, with employers benefitting from greater staff morale and productivity, and reduced staff absenteeism and turnover”.

The foundation said in May that 10,000 employers had signed up to the scheme – covering nearly 350,000 workers. As of July 1, there were 10,765 organisations paying the real living wage across the UK.