UK's sharp rises in minimum wage did not hurt jobs or increase prices, government study finds

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Britain's sharp rises in its minimum wage have not resulted in a cut in jobs or higher prices for consumers, research by the government's low-pay watchdog has found. "We pay close attention to the evidence on the national living wage's impact on jobs," the Commission said in its annual report published at the start of 2020. The LPC recommended an even faster rise in the minimum wage for 2020, which it said would be "the largest cash rise" in the history of the policy, which was first introduced in 1999. open image in gallery The sharp wage rises were announced by former chancellor George Osborne The research by the Commission was based on an analysis of economic and labour market data, six regional visits around the UK to various employment centres, the commissioning a range of independent research projects, and regular meeting and consultations with organisations and stakeholders. Commenting on the analysis, Conservative business minister Paul Scully said in a written statement: "To date, the Low Pay Commission have found that the minimum wage has increased pay for the lowest earners without harming employment."