An employer must pay their workers a minimum amount as defined by law. This is called the National Minimum wage.

There are three levels of minimum wage, and the rates from 1st October 2006 are:

** £5.35 per hour for workers aged 22 years and older (an increase of 4.95% from October 2005)

** A development rate of £4.45 per hour for workers aged 18 - 21 years inclusive

** £3.30 per hour which applies to all workers under the age of 18 who are no longer of compulsory school age#

#Compulsory School age In England and Wales: a person is no longer of compulsory school age after the last Friday of June of the school year in which their 16th birthday occurs.

In Scotland: pupils whose 16th birthday falls between 1 March and 30 September may not leave before the 31 May of that year. Pupils aged 16 on or between 1 October and the last day of February may not leave until the start of the Christmas holidays in that school year. In Northern Ireland: a person is no longer of compulsory school age after the 30th June of the school year in which their 16th birthday occurs.

---

Back to Stop Press