The increase is largely due to the current housing crisis.
The updated Living Wage for the Republic of Ireland for 2019 has been set by the Living Wage Technical Group (LWTG), and it has increased to €12.30 per hour.
The change to the rate is determined by the fluctuation of living costs and taxation, with this year’s increase being largely put down to the housing crisis.
LWTG found that in Dublin, weekly housing costs for a living wage worker increased by €21.80, while they increased by an average of €9.27 per week across the rest of the country.
The group said that if rent had increased at the same pace as other living costs, the Living Wage in 2019 would be lower than the 2014 rate, which was €11.45 an hour.
It claims that, housing aside, there has been very little change in the overall cost of the minimum needs of a full-time worker in the last year.
The goal of the Living Wage is intended to establish an hourly wage rate that should provide employees with sufficient income to achieve an agreed acceptable minimum standard of living
The Living Wage is not legally binding in Ireland, despite many employers committing to paying it.
More information, as well as a detailed breakdown of the calculations that led to the increased rate, can be found here.
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