NZ minimum wage higher than UK

The Telegraph reports:

The adult rate of the minimum wage is to rise by 11p to £6.19 an hour from October, Business Secretary Vince Cable announced today.

That is $11.90 in NZ dollars, which is 88% of the NZ minimum wage of $13.50 an hour. So the next time Labour or the unions insist our minimum wage is set at third world standards and keeps people in poverty, remember it is 13% higher than the UK one.

But the rates for younger workers will be frozen at £4.98 for 18 to 20-year-olds and £3.68 for 16 to 17-year-olds. 

Sensible when the focus is getting them into jobs.

The starting out minimum wage in NZ is $10.80 an hour, and doesn’t even apply to all under 21s like the UK one. It only applies to 16 and 17 year olds for their first six months with an employer or 18 and 19 year olds who have been on a benefit for at least six months.

The UK youth minimum wage is NZ$9.58 for 18 to 20 year olds, and NZ$7.08 for 16 and 17 year olds. That means those on the starting out minimum wage in NZ are getting 13% more and  53% more respectively.