In April 2020 the BBC Shared Data Unit reported hundreds of thousands of key workers considered critical to the UK’s response to the coronavirus crisis were earning below the so-called “real living wage”.
The real living wage is a voluntary scheme devised by the Living Wage Foundation. It is calculated independently from the government and is based on costs such as food, clothing and household bills.
One in five UK employees earn below the Living Wage Foundation rates, including hundreds of thousands of key workers including hospital cleaners and porters, teaching assistants and carers.
The GMB union said the coronavirus crisis had shone a light on the “rock-bottom pay” of the people “expected to risk their health to protect us”.
Economists, however, urged against further wage rises before the full toll of the crisis was clear.
The Shared Data Unit makes data journalism available to news organisations across the media industry, as part of a partnership between the BBC and the News Media Association. Stories generated by the partnership included:
- Manchester Evening News: Many key workers vital in the fight against coronavirus are earning less than the real living wage 2 April 2020
- Metro: Frontline workers ‘should be given a special coronavirus allowance’ 2 April 2020
- The Irish News: Quarter of workers in Northern Ireland earn less than 'real living wage' 2 April 2020
- Sheffield: The Star: Call for cash allowance for key workers during pandemic 2 April 2020
- The Inverness Courier: New figures show one in five Highland employees, including key workers during the coronavirus crisis, are paid less than the real living wage 2 April 2020
- Cambridgeshire Live: Thousands of Cambridgeshire key workers not paid the real living wage 2 April 2020
- Yorkshire Live: Ambulance staff and key workers earning less than real living wage 2 April 2020
- MK Citizen: More than 20,000 coronavirus crisis key workers are earning less than the real living wage in Milton Keynes 2 April 2020
- Surrey Live: All the key workers in Surrey paid less than the real living wage 2 April 2020
- The Bucks Herald: 16.5% of Aylesbury Vale key workers not paid the 'real living wage', figures reveal 2 April 2020
- Kent Live: The key workers in Kent paid less than the real living wage 2 April 2020
- Essex: Yellow Advertiser: A quarter of key workers earning less than real living wage 2 April 2020
- Wales: Bro Radio: Hundreds of thousands of key workers are earning below the real living wage 2 April 2020
- Scotland: The Northern Times: New figures show one in five Highland employees, including key workers during the coronavirus crisis, are paid less than the real living wage 2 April 2020
- Peterborough Matters: Revealed: A fifth of workers in Peterborough below Real Living Wage 2 April 2020
- The Isle of Thanet News: Thousands of key workers earning below Living Wage Foundation rates 2 April 2020
- Strathspey & Badenoch Herald: One in five Highland employees, including key workers, are earning less than the real living wage during the coronavirus crisis 2 April 2020
- The London Economic: Data indicates over 3 million key workers earn below living wage 2 April 2020
- Berkshire Live: The key workers in Berkshire being paid less than the real living wage 3 April 2020
- Edinburgh Live: Thousands of Edinburgh key workers are earning less than the real living wage 3 April 2020
- Eastern Daily Press: Revealed: More than 35,000 key coronavirus workers in the county do not earn a living wage 3 April 2020
- Glasgow Live: 55,000 Glasgow key workers are earning less than the real living wage 3 April 2020
- Northampton Chronicle & Echo: Almost 20 per cent of Northampton workers earn below 'real living wage' prompting concern over key worker pay 3 April 2020
- Birmingham Live: Hospital porters, shelf stackers and childminders - the Birmingham workers paid less than real living wage 3 April 2020
- Yorkshire Evening Post: Many key workers are not earning enough to live on, research shows 3 April 2020
- Thurrock Nub News: One in five Thurrock workers gets less than real living wage - including key coronavirus frontline staff! 3 April 2020
- Lancashire Telegraph: 1 in 5 workers paid below £9.30 real living wage 4 April 2020
- Rochdale Online: Critical key workers earning less than the real living wage, data suggests 4 April 2020
- This Is Lancashire: 1 in 5 workers paid below £9.30 real living wage 4 April 2020
- The Bolton News: Coronavirus key workers: Quarter of Bolton staff underpaid 4 April 2020
- Teesside Live: The key workers among thousands on Teesside being paid less than the real living wage 5 April 2020
- My Welshpool: Many local key workers earning below real living wage 5 April 2020
- Cornish Times: Pay increase call for 'army of minimum wage heroes' in Devon and Cornwall 5 April 2020
- My Newtown: Many local key workers earning below real living wage 5 April 2020
- Nottinghamshire Live: The Nottinghamshire key workers who are earning less than the real living wage 6 April 2020
- Hemel Today: Thousands of coronavirus key workers are earning less than the real living wage in Dacorum 6 April 2020
- Coventry Live: Many key workers are earning less than the real living wage 6 April 2020
- Weston Mercury: Three million workers affected by national living wage increase 7 April 2020
- Scotland: Daily Record: Coronavirus: Pay our virus heroes a 'real' living wage 8 April 2020
- Chichester Observer: Thousands of key workers in West Sussex earn less than a living wage, figures suggest 9 April 2020
- Worthing Herald: Thousands of key workers in West Sussex earn less than a living wage, figures suggest 9 April 2020
- Bristol Live: Thousands of vital key workers in Bristol don't earn real living wage 11 April 2020
- Wirral Globe: Wirral care workers to earn Real Living Wage 11 April 2020
- Lincolnshire Live: Thousands of key workers in Lincolnshire earning below real living wage, figures reveal 12 April 2020
- Connect East Midlands: Thousands of key workers in Lincolnshire earning below real living wage 12 April 2020
- Hastings & St Leonards Observer: Thousands of key workers in East Sussex earn less than the real living wage, data reveals 14 April 2020
- Sussex Express: Thousands of key workers in East Sussex earn less than the real living wage, data reveals 14 April 2020
- Eastbourne Herald: Thousands of key workers in East Sussex earn less than the real living wage, data reveals 14 April 2020
- Brighton & Hove Independent: Thousands of key workers in East Sussex earn less than the real living wage, data reveals 14 April 2020
- Scotland: Daily Record: Key workers earning ‘poverty pay’ in crisis 14 April 2020
- Halesowen News: Thousands of key workers in Wychavon not earning a 'real' wage, new data suggests 16 April 2020
- Worcester News: Worcester's key workers amongst thousands not earning the 'real' living wage 16 April 2020
- Hereford Times: Worcester's key workers amongst thousands not earning the 'real' living wage 16 April 2020
- Malvern Gazette: Thousands of key workers in Wychavon not earning a 'real' wage, new data suggests 16 April 2020
- Evesham Journal: Thousands of key workers in Wychavon not earning a 'real' wage, new data suggests 16 April 2020
- Ludlow & Tenbury Wells Advertiser: Thousands of key workers in Wychavon not earning a 'real' wage, new data suggests 16 April 2020
- Droitwich Spa Advertiser: Worcester's key workers amongst thousands not earning the 'real' living wage 16 April 2020
- Greenock Telegraph: Study shows one in three Inverclyde workers earns less than real living wage 23 April 2020
- Lancs Live: Thousands of West Lancs essential workers we depend on during coronavirus crisis are paid below 'real living wage' 3 May 2020
The story was also used by BBC News UK 21 April 2020
- Line chart: Percentage of employee jobs in the UK earning less than the Living Wage Foundation rates by year from 2014-19 (by nation)
You can find all coronavirus-related stories by the BBC data units tagged 'coronavirus' here