Oxford Living Wage of £14.06 to benefit 1,298 more workers

Twenty-eight new employers have committed to paying the 2026/27 Oxford Living Wage rate of £14.06 an hour, which is set to benefit 1,298 additional workers.

Since the wage was announced in November and took effect in April, the total number of accredited employers has risen to 193.

This means more than 32,000 local people will be paid at least £14.06 an hour.

The Oxford Living Wage is set at 95 per cent of the London Living Wage, reflecting the high cost of living in the city.

The new employers who have committed to the Oxford Living Wage are Active Oxfordshire, African Families in the UK (AFiUK), Agile Collective Ltd, ASA Landscape Architects Ltd, Cinderella’s Cleaning Services (Oxford) Limited, Cyclox, Damascus Rose Kitchen, ExamSure, IRL Oxford, Kelpie Coffee, Makespace Oxford, Mortimer Hall Management Committee, Natural Bread Company, OCCA House LTD, Oxford Biomedica UK Limited, Oxford Hospitals Charity, Oxford North, Oxford Professional Education Group, OXPIP, Purcell Architecture Ltd, Refeyn Ltd, Stella’s Cleaning Services Ltd, Sustainable Asset Maintenance Services, Systematic Review Consultants LTD, The Mint House, The Missing Bean Ltd, The Project PT Limited, and Versantus IT Services Limited.

Oxford City Council has encouraged any business based or operating in the city that pays £14.06 or more to all staff to seek accreditation.

An Oxford Living Wage accreditation indicates an employer’s commitment to fair pay, supports recruitment and retention, and can contribute towards environmental, social and governance (ESG), as well as corporate social responsibility (CSR) objectives.

The Oxford Living Wage was introduced in 2018 to address Oxford’s long-standing status as one of the UK’s most unaffordable cities.

It is determined annually by Oxford City Council based on the Living Wage Foundation and Resolution Foundation’s research into actual living costs, such as housing, food, and transport.

Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, said: “Every single Oxford Living Wage employer – new or reaccrediting, big or small – is directly helping to build a fairer city.

“I am delighted that so many have joined the community in the last few months and I hope it inspires others to consider it.

“Together, we’re creating a fairer Oxford, supporting local families and helping boost our local economy.”

Olly Wilkins, marketing director at Missing Bean, added: “We hire people who care: about the coffee, about the customers, and about the community around them.

“We give them the space to make the Cafe their own, and by paying everyone Oxford Living Wage and above, means they have the opportunity to live amongst their communities and be as enthusiastic as we are to keep serving the good stuff, day-in, day-out.”