Minimum wage employees in Ireland are likely to be suffering disproportionately from job losses as almost half work in sectors worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new research by the Economic and Social Research Institute.
The study, entitled 'A comparative assessment of minimum wage employment in Europe', also found that being younger, having low levels of education and not being a citizen were key factors driving a higher likelihood of minimum wage employment across Europe.
Overall 9.6% of workers in Ireland are on the minimum wage of €10.20 per hour, but 43% are employed in accommodation, food, wholesale or retail sectors - a higher share than in any country examined in the study. "Public health measures across Europe, and