The adult minimum wage is £6.08 an hour from 1 October 2011.
The rate for young workers aged 18 to 20 is £4.92 an hour.
The rate for workers aged 16 and 17 is £3.64 an hour.
From 1 October 2010 the adult minimum wage applied from the age of 21, instead of 22.
National Minimum Wage Timeline
Increases in the National Minimum Wage, 1999-2010 |
Effective date | Adult NMW (age 21 and over) | % increase |
April 1999 | £3.60 | - |
October 2000 | £3.70 | 2.8 |
October 2001 | £4.10 | 10.8 |
October 2002 | £4.20 | 2.4 |
October 2003 | £4.50 | 7.1 |
October 2004 | £4.85 | 7.8 |
October 2005 | £5.05 | 4.1 |
October 2006 | £5.35 | 5.9 |
October 2007 | £5.52 | 3.2 |
October 2008 | £5.73 | 3.8 |
October 2009 | £5.80 | 1.2 |
October 2010 | £5.93 | 2.2 |
October 2011 | £6.08 | 2.5 |