英国保守党影子商务大臣呼吁冻结最低工资五年应对青年失业

英国保守党影子商务大臣安德鲁·沙普在繁荣研究所智库发布的报告中提出，应将国家生活工资冻结五年，并取消独立的低工资委员会，以此缓解青年失业问题1。该报告建议将国家生活工资固定在12.71英镑的现有水平1。

沙普表示，"面对近100万名年轻人未接受教育、就业或培训的局面，这份报告恰逢其时，其建议理由充分，政府应全部采纳"1。根据报告预测，这一政策可能使约27万名年轻人进入就业市场1。

然而，该方案也会产生显著的代价。报告指出，最低工资工人的购买力将在五年内因通胀下降9%至12%，累计损失约8,900英镑1。低工资委员会不认为工资上升对青年失业率上升有贡献1。劳动党商务大臣凯特·迪亚顿对此回应称，"很明显，凯米·巴德诺克的领导团队决心让最低薪资工人陷入困境"1。

根据该建议，低工资委员会将在2026年10月就2027年4月1日起的财年提出建议1。

Britain's Conservative Party shadow business secretary Andrew Sharpe has proposed a five-year freeze on the national living wage as a means to combat youth unemployment, according to a report from the Prosperity Institute think tank 1. The proposal would hold the national living wage at £12.71 per hour, while also eliminating the independent Low Pay Commission 1.

The Conservatives argue the policy could bring approximately 270,000 young people into the job market 1. However, the freeze would significantly erode workers' purchasing power, with the lowest-paid employees expected to lose between 9 and 12 percent of their buying capacity over the five years, amounting to a cumulative loss of roughly £8,900 1. Sharpe stated: "With almost 1 million young people not in education, employment or training this report is timely and its recommendations very sound. The government should adopt them in full" 1.

The Low Pay Commission has indicated that wage increases do not bear responsibility for rising youth unemployment rates 1. Labour's business secretary Kate Dianeton criticized the proposal, asserting: "It's clear that Kemi Badenoch's top team are determined that the lowest paid workers should be worse off" 1.