New Living Wage rate announced for Oxford
It will come in from April 2026
Oxford City Council has announced the Oxford Living Wage amount will increase to £14.06 from April 2026.
OLW was launched in 2018 to help workers earn enough to meet the city's living costs, particularly given its status as one of the UK's most expensive cities. It is reviewed annually and set at 95% of the Living Wage Foundation’s London Living Wage.
The OLW is a voluntary rate that employers can choose to adopt to go beyond the statutory National Living Wage to ensure that employees earn enough to meet everyday needs.
It is simple and free for employers to join, and it promotes livable earnings for all workers in the city. The Council’s recognition scheme helps to make it easier for potential employees to find employers that pay it.
Over 175 organisations in the city signed up to pay their staff at least the Oxford Living Wage in 2024/25, meaning over 30,000 employees received a fairer wage. The highest number since the initiative launched.
The Council wants to encourage them all, as well as many new organisations, to commit to the new rate now and help to make the city a fairer place.