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<p>The Low Pay Commission’s National Minimum Wage Report 2015 outlines details of
2014 adult minimum wage rates in 12 comparator countries, including EU member states.
Minimum wages vary in level and structure between countries given the context of their
economic and labour market conditions. These comparisons are broken down in the table
below.</p><br /><p>BIS has not undertaken any analysis of the effect of proposed minimum
wage changes on migration.</p><br /> <br /><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="7"><p><strong>Annex
3</strong>: Comparison of Adult Minimum Wage, by Country, End 2014</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><br></p></td><td
rowspan="2"><p><strong>In national currency expressed as hourly rate<sup>a</sup></strong></p></td><td
colspan="2"><p><strong>In UK £, using:</strong></p></td><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Date
of last uprating</strong></p></td><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>% increase in national
currency from 2012/2013 to 2014</strong></p></td><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Age full
minimum wage usually applies<sup>b</sup></strong></p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><strong>Exchange
rates</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>PPPs</strong></p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Australia<sup>c</sup>
</strong></p></td><td><p>AUS$16.87</p></td><td><p>9.37</p></td><td><p>8.44</p></td><td><p>Jul-14</p></td><td><p>3.0</p></td><td><p>21</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Belgium</strong></p></td><td><p>€
8.67</p></td><td><p>6.88</p></td><td><p>7.80</p></td><td><p>Dec-12</p></td><td><p>0.0</p></td><td><p>21</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Canada<sup>d</sup></strong></p></td><td><p>C$10.39</p></td><td><p>5.79</p></td><td><p>6.29</p></td><td><p><sup>e</sup></p></td><td><p>1.5</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>France</strong></p></td><td><p>€
9.53</p></td><td><p>7.54</p></td><td><p>8.57</p></td><td><p>Jan-14</p></td><td><p>1.1</p></td><td><p>18</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Greece</strong></p></td><td><p>€3.52<sup>f</sup></p></td><td><p>2.73</p></td><td><p>3.82</p></td><td><p>Feb-12</p></td><td><p>0.0</p></td><td><p>25</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Ireland</strong></p></td><td><p>€
8.65</p></td><td><p>6.84</p></td><td><p>7.20</p></td><td><p>Jul-11<sup>g</sup></p></td><td><p>0.0</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Japan<sup>h</sup></strong></p></td><td><p>JPY780</p></td><td><p>4.46</p></td><td><p>5.31</p></td><td><p>Oct-13</p></td><td><p>2.0</p></td><td><p>15/18<sup>i</sup></p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Netherlands</strong></p></td><td><p>8.63<sup>j</sup></p></td><td><p>6.83</p></td><td><p>7.59</p></td><td><p>Jul-14</p></td><td><p>1.2</p></td><td><p>23</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>New
Zealand</strong></p></td><td><p>NZ$14.25</p></td><td><p>7.12</p></td><td><p>7.05</p></td><td><p>Apr-14</p></td><td><p>3.6</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Portugal<sup>l</sup>
</strong></p></td><td><p>€ 2.91</p></td><td><p>2.30</p></td><td><p>3.33</p></td><td><p>Oct-14</p></td><td><p>4.0</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Spain<sup>l</sup></strong></p></td><td><p>€
3.72</p></td><td><p>2.94</p></td><td><p>3.82</p></td><td><p>Jan-12</p></td><td><p>0.0</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>United
Kingdom</strong></p></td><td><p>$6.50</p></td><td><p>6.50</p></td><td><p>6.50</p></td><td><p>Oct-14</p></td><td><p>3.0</p></td><td><p>21</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>United
States</strong></p></td><td><p>US$7.25<sup>m</sup></p></td><td><p>4.45</p></td><td><p>5.63</p></td><td><p>Jul-09</p></td><td><p>0.0</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="7" rowspan="2"><p><em>Source:</em> British Embassies and High Commissions,
Low Pay Commission (LPC) calculations of country minimum wage rates in pounds sterling
using exchange rates and PPPs. PPPs derived from Comparative Price Levels (CPLs),
OEDC Main Economic Indicators, September 2014. Exchange rates, Bank of England month
average spot exchange rates, September 2014.</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td><p><em>Notes:</em></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="7" rowspan="2"><p>a. For countries where the minimum wage is not expressed
as an hourly rate, the rate has been converted to an hourly basis assuming a working
time of 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week and 173.3 hours per month.</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="7" rowspan="2"><p>b. Exemptions and special rules apply in many cases. For
example, in France and the US the full adult rate applies to young workers with tenure
of more than six and more than three months respectively.</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="6"><p>c. The Australian Federal National Minimum Wage Order, effective from
first pay period on or after 1 July 2014.</p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="3"><p>d. Weighted average of provincial/territorial rates.</p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="3"><p>e. Date of last uprating varies between provinces.</p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="6"><p>f. Minimum hourly rate for ‘employees’. Different hourly rate operates
for ‘blue collar’ workers.</p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"
rowspan="2"><p>g. The hourly minimum rate was reduced from €8.65 to €7.65 for adult
workers on 1 Feb 2011. That reduction was reversed and the hourly rate went back up
to €8.65 on 1 July 2011.</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p>h.
Weighted average of prefectural rates.</p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="6"><p>i. Age 15 to receive the regional minimum wage. Age 18 to receive the
sectoral minimum wage.</p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"
rowspan="2"><p>j. Excludes 8 per cent supplement for holiday pay. Minimum wage based
on a 40 hour working week. There are different minimum wage rates for those working
a 38 or 36 hour week.</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><p>k.
For all employees aged 16 and over, who are not either on the training minimum wage
or the starting out minimum wage.</p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="6"><p>l.
Not including annual supplementary pay of two additional months of salary for full-time
workers.</p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="6"><p>m. Federal
minimum wage. Tipped employees receive a lower minimum wage depending on state laws.</p></td><td><p><br></p></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>
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