There’s bad news for younger workers – as the Department of Economic Development’s leaving them out of a rise in the minimum wage.

Later this month, Minister Laurence Skelly will ask the court to raise the rates for those aged 21 and over from ?6.40 an hour to ?6.65.

There’s to be a new wage bracket for 18 to 20 years olds who would have qualified for the rise – but that group will see their minimum earnings frozen at ?6.40 per hour.

There’s also no rise for 16 year olds who get ?4.67 or 17 year olds who earn ?5.24 per hour.

It’ll mean an effective pay cut for those earning least, with the government’s latest annual inflation figures showing the Retail Prices Index running at 2.8 per cent.