The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) welcomes the planned increases to the national minimum wage, set out today by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Commenting, Ben Willmott, Head of Public Policy at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said: “The announcement to increase the minimum wage for adults by 1.9 percent and to increase the youth and apprenticeship rate by one percent is a welcome one. CIPD research has found that most employers support the concept of the minimum wage and support increasing it to boost the living standards of lower paid workers*. This is particularly important given the Government's efforts to reform the benefit system and incentivise work, especially for the long-term unemployed.

“We also welcome the announcement that there will be a stronger set of measures put in place to enforce the minimum wage. Many employers already pay more than the minimum wage, particularly for apprenticeships, but it is good to see that more will be done to ensure that the small minority of rogue businesses, who are exploiting their workers by not acting within the law, will be brought to justice.”