A record 17 organisations showed their commitment to the living wage agenda by accrediting as living wage employers in 2023/24. This is the most successful year for new sign ups in the city and has resulted in 933 employees receiving a direct uplift in pay.

The new sign ups mean that there are now 720 accredited living wage employers based in Scotland’s capital. These organisations have voluntarily committed to paying their employees a wage rate that is based on the cost of living and enables them to meet their everyday needs.

On top of this, 10 employers have pledged to provide secure hours alongside payment of the real living wage by becoming Living Hours accredited.

This latest achievement is in line with Edinburgh’s work to tackle poverty by 2030, by helping to address low pay and insecure work in the city.

It also builds on the inspiring work of Living Wage Scotland that has just entered its 10th year of working to promote fair pay. The organisation recently reached a significant milestone of having 3,500 accredited employers.

Councillor Jane Meagher, Edinburgh’s housing, homelessness and fair work convener, and co-chair of the Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group, said: “Edinburgh is currently home to over 20% of Scotland’s accredited living wage employers, which is a great achievement.

“We’re proudly leading the living wage movement and I’m incredibly grateful to all the employers who are choosing to prioritise the wellbeing of their workers by paying the real living wage, despite increasingly challenging business conditions.

“With the cost-of-living crisis serving as a stark reminder of what life on low pay means for workers, tackling in-work poverty together has never been more vital. So, these figures for living wage sign ups are encouraging, but can’t be taken for granted.

“We must keep working together to break down barriers and champion the true value of people’s jobs, particularly with minimum and living wage levels increasing. Everyone deserves a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.”

Kat Brogan, managing director of Mercat Tours and co-chair of the Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group, said: “The real living wage is a crucial element of ‘Real Living’ – a happy, healthy, fulfilling life.

“The Living Wage Scotland movement binds together a powerful and growing group of like-minded businesses who believe in activism - business for good.

“The Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group serves our aims in three ways:

1. We celebrate living wage employers who pay the real living wage and choose to go beyond, supporting Real Living more broadly in creative and practical ways that has real impact on their teams’ lives.
2. Where employers want to reach this goal, we’ll provide advice and guide them to becoming accredited. This will benefit their team, their business and Edinburgh as a thriving city which offers a quality experience for all.
3. As members of the living wage community, employers’ views are presented to local and national Government by the Action Group, a powerful advocate on behalf of living wage businesses.

“We’re inspired and excited by this community who take such great effort to provide a Real Living for all they can.”

Rachel Morrison-McCormick, projects co-ordinator at Living Wage Scotland, said: “Congratulations to the Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group and living wage accredited employers across Edinburgh for the most successful year of growth in our capital city yet.

“These employers continue to play a significant role in the continued growth of the living wage employer movement across Scotland as they choose to commit to going beyond the minimum and pay the only rate of pay calculated on the cost of living.”