Higher Oxford Living Wage Announced for 2025/26
Oxford Living Wage set to increase next year, helping workers meet the city’s growing living costs
Oxford City Council has announced that the Oxford Living Wage (OLW) will increase to £13.95 in 2025/26.
The city’s living wage was introduced in 2018 to help workers with the ever-growing living costs associated with living in Oxford, one of the UK’s most expensive cities.
In 2023/24, over 130 businesses and organisations in Oxford signed up to the scheme, paying their combined 27,000 employees the fairer wage. The council is focused on ensuring all 130 and many new organisations commit to the new increased rate.
Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of the city council, commented: “I’m proud and pleased that over 130 Oxford employers have committed to the Oxford Living Wage this year. That’s the most we’ve ever had, but I hope even more will commit for 2025/26.”
Research has shown that paying a living wage leads to enhanced loyalty and customer service, as well as improved staff retention and reduced HR costs. It was also noted that it led to a 25% reduction in absenteeism, with 80% of employers reporting an increase in the quality of their staff’s work when paid the living wage.
Emphasising the importance of the scheme for the city’s economy at large, Councillor Brown added: “Paying a living wage makes a difference not just for employees but for Oxford as a whole. It helps employers attract talent and retain staff and it contributes to a fairer local economy. It also means that residents have more money to spend in other local businesses.”
She concluded with an invitation to join the scheme: “I invite any company, business or organisation who are considering paying the Oxford Living Wage to come and talk to us. Please do join our free accreditation scheme and work with us to make Oxford fairer for everyone.”
More information on the wage, and accredited employers can be found on the council’s website.