Minimum wage set to rise

YOUNG people will be earning more money from October, following a 3.8% rise in the minimum wage.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that for young people aged between 18 and 21, the hourly rate will increase from £4.60 to £4.77, while 16 to 17-year-olds will get £3.53, up from £3.40.

According to the Government, the minimum wage has gone up by 60% since it was introduced in 1999. It also said that one million people would benefit from the latest increase.

Business secretary, John Hutton, said: "The national minimum wage remains one of the most important rights introduced by the Government in the last decade. It creates a level playing field for business and boosts the economy."