Manchester: a Living Wage City – background
In the last ten years, Manchester has enjoyed significant growth. The city’s population and economy has grown at a faster rate than the UK average, and Manchester now boasts a young, diverse and increasingly well-educated population, rich cultural offer, a thriving digital sector and excellent connections locally, nationally and internationally. This combination makes it a place that people want to live, work in and visit.
Despite this, however, poverty is a huge challenge for the city and continues to have a significant impact. Manchester was ranked as the sixth most deprived local authority in the country (the 2019 index of multiple deprivation) and the End Child Poverty Coalition estimated that, in March 2020, there were 46,700 children (42%) in Manchester living in poverty.
Covid has deepened existing inequalities, affecting even more vulnerable residents. Now, post-pandemic - and as the cost of living continues to rise - the impact on those with the greatest need in the city is likely to drop them further into poverty.