Workers still £38 a week worse off than before the crash
North West workers are still £38 a week worse off than they were before the financial crash, new figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) results show that for the year to April 2017 real wages in the North West were 8.5% below their 2008 level.
Nationally, inflation has overtaken wage growth for the last six months, leading the TUC to says it is concerned that next year “could be even worse”.
TUC regional secretary for the North West Lynn Collins said: “Most families still haven’t recovered from the financial crash, yet their pay packets are now taking another hammering. It’s leaving millions of working people facing hardship and getting deeper into debt.
“Public sector workers have had it especially hard, with real pay cuts for seven long years. The Chancellor must use next month’s budget to give them the pay rise they’ve earned.
“He should also use the budget to help bring great jobs to the North West, by investing in skills and infrastructure. And he must help low-paid workers by raising the minimum wage to £10 an hour as soon as possible.”
– UK regional and national changes to average weekly earnings from 2008 to 2017
| Change from 2008 to 2017 in £ per week | Change from 2008 to 2017 in % | |
| North East | -15 | -3.5 |
| North West | -38 | -8.5 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | -46 | -10.4 |
| East Midlands | -45 | -10.1 |
| West Midlands | -30 | -6.8 |
| East of England | -43 | -9.1 |
| London | -68 | -10.1 |
| South East | -46 | -9.0 |
| South West | -38 | -8.5 |
| Wales | -19 | -4.5 |
| Scotland | -29 | -6.3 |
| Northern Ireland | -19 | -4.6 |
| UK | -38 | -7. |
