News story: Invitation to tender for research from the Low Pay Commission 2017

The introduction of the National Living Wage is a major change for the labour market – likely to represent a sharp increase in the nominal, real and relative value of the UK’s pay floor. Coverage is set to triple by 2020.

In some sectors more than half of workers could be paid at the minimum – all at a time of major change in the economy, and the welfare system. It is, in effect, a natural experiment.

Such a significant change in the minimum wage is likely to have a wide set of effects and there are many approaches that could be used to analyse such effects.

The Low Pay Commission has launched its latest invitation to tender for research. Please see the links below to the projects on the central procurement provider, UKSBS Contracts Finder. The deadline is 13 March 2017. These are open tender calls for research and cover 3 areas.

We are commissioning research:

• on the impact of the National Minimum Wage and the new National Living Wage on employment and hours (UK SBS BLOJEU-CR17029LPC).

  One project will be commissioned with a total budget up to £60,000. Link to Contracts Finder.

• into the impact of the minimum wage regime on the labour market outcomes of young workers (UK SBS BLOJEU-CR17030LPC).

  One project will be commissioned with a total budget up to £60,000. Link to Contracts Finder.

• open call for Other Research on the Impact of the National Living Wage (UK SBS BLOJEU-CR17028LPC).

  Up to four projects will be commissioned, with a total budget of £100,000. Link to Contracts Finder.

Please circulate to colleagues who may be interested.

Please also note that the LPC will be holding a research workshop on the afternoon of Thursday 6 April. Details will follow shortly.