Nursery World - Call for childcare staff to be paid a minimum of £15 per hour to reverse recruitment crisis

The TUC is calling for a ‘comprehensive’ strategy for the care workforce in England as new analysis shows every region in England is struggling to recruit early years staff.

The TUC analysis finds all areas in England are struggling to recruit early years staff, PHOTO: Adobe Stock

The union’s analysis, which is based upon data from Coram Family and Childcare’s Childcare survey 2023, shows:

The union body has also published new research into the wages of early years and social care staff. The data is based upon the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2022 and the Labour Force Survey Quarter 1 2023.

It reveals that more than three in five (62 per cent) early years assistants and practitioners earn less than the real Living Wage at £10.90 an hour.

Also, practitioners earn only 56 per cent of the median salary for all employees (£18,400).

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The TUC has put forward a strategy to deliver a ‘world class cradle to grave service’, which includes the following proposals:

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