Almost 750,000 Kiwis look set to be classed as the new working poor this week when the union movement fixes the value of a "living wage" needed to have a decent life here.
The rate, expected to be $18-$20 an hour, has been calculated by researchers at the Anglican Church'sFamily Centre in Lower Hutt to be "the income necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life".
About 40 per cent of the country's 1.85 million employees, or around 740,000 people, earn below that rate - including beginning teachers, chefs, truck drivers, mechanics and carpenters, as well as traditionally low-paid groups such as cleaners, caregivers and checkout operators.
What about you? Do you think $18 an hour enough to live on? How would you describe your income?
