Shop workers get lower than average pay rises but work increased hours

Pay rates for shop workers have stalled while working hours have risen, a report by Personnel Today’s sister publication IRS Employment Review has revealed.

The study of 64 pay settlements covering 888,550 workers in the retail sector found that pay rises had remained at 2.5%, about 0.5% lower than in other industries.

But staff were found to be working an average of 38 hours a week, a 30 minute increase from 2005.

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Sheila Atwood, IRS spokeswoman, said retail workers would benefit from next month’s increase in the national minimum wage from £5.05 to £5.35. 

“It will have an impact on the retail sector as some employers continue to operate their lowest rate at or just above the wage floor,” she said.