Tens of thousands of workers in Glasgow are earning below the real Living Wage as figures show in work poverty causing hardship for families.

As part of Challenge Poverty Week the Strathclyde Business School complied a report for the Joseph Rowntree foundation.

Last year official figures 380,000 Scottish working-age adults and 150,000 children in relative poverty lived in households where at least one adult was in paid employment.

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The JRF report found that bosses knew little about the circumstances faced by low paid employers but that there was incentives for them to take action.

The report found: “Employers often have limited knowledge about their employees’ financial wellbeing and/or experiences of in-work poverty.”

However, it is in their interests to improve pay and conditions for staff.

It found: “There is a strong business case for individual employers to act on low pay and in-work poverty, including improved recruitment and retention, increased employee performance and reputational gains with customers.

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The study concluded: “Low pay is trapping people in in-work poverty, restricting their options, and employers have a responsibility to help people to achieve a decent living-standard and thrive.”

In work poverty has been increasing in Glasgow and across Scotland in recent years.

Campaigners urged employers to sign up to pay the real living wage of £9 per hour.

The UK government National Living wage is £8.21 for 25 year olds and above.

Peter Kelly, Director of The Poverty Alliance: “Work should provide a route out of poverty but far too many workers are trapped on low incomes, struggling to cover their basic needs. Employers can fix this by paying the real Living Wage, offering secure contracts, and supporting progression and flexible working.

“The real Living Wage is calculated to reflect the real cost of living. More than 300 accredited employers already pay the real Living Wage in Glasgow, which has meant pay rises for over 3000 of the city’s workers and an extra £5.2 million in workers’ pockets.

“But there are still an estimated 64,000 Glasgow workers earning less than a real Living Wage.

“We would encourage other businesses to sign up.”