Nine out of ten Scots paid the Real Living Wage

A record number of people in Scotland are being paid the Real Living Wage, official figures show.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed 91% of employees aged 18 and above earn at least the Real Living Wage – currently set at £10.90 an hour.

That is up from 85.5% the previous year and is the highest rate in the UK.

The ONS data also showed Scotland has a lower gender pay gap than the UK as a whole.

There is a pay gap of 3.7% between male and female workers in Scotland compared to 8.3% across the UK.

Launched in 2011, the voluntary Real Living Wage is set by the Living Wage Foundation charity.

It is higher than the government-set National Living Wage – currently £9.50 an hour for those over 23 – and reflects what the charity thinks people need to earn to cover everyday costs.

Scottish government employment minister Richard Lochhead said: “The ONS figures confirm that Scottish employers are leading the way and we can be proud of the progress that has been made.

“There is still work to be done on tackling the gender pay gap, but we are taking steps to make this happen.”

In England, 87.5% of employees aged 18 and over are paid the real living wage, along with 88.2% of workers in Wales and 85.4% in Northern Ireland.