The team at Class Recruitment in Clifton have a seasonal update on Early Years recruiter news from our Bristol office.
The recent Autumn Budget has been a hot topic for both Early Years candidates and nursery settings in Bristol. The main takeaways are:
It was announced that the national living wage and minimum wage will both undergo significant increases, which will impact the Bristol Early Years sector.
From April of next year, the national living wage will increase 6.7% to £12.21 per hour, and the national minimum wage for 18–20-year-olds will increase 16.3% to £10 per hour.
The Chancellor also confirmed that employer national insurance contributions will increase from 13.8% to 15% from 6 April 2025.
From April 2025, the national minimum wage for both under-18s and apprentices will increase from £6.40 to £7.55 (an 18% increase).
Employment Allowance will increase from £5,000 to £10,500, while the £100,000 threshold for eligibility will be removed and expanded to all eligible employers with employer National Insurance contribution bills from April 2025.
We believe that Early Years workers in Bristol should be paid fairly for the vital work they do – and confirmation of rises to the national living and minimum wages should be positive news for the sector across the city.
However, staffing costs account for about of Bristol Nursery setting outgoings.
This means that the combination of wage increases and rises to employer national insurance contributions may make it more difficult for Early Years providers in Bristol to remain viable.
These increased costs need to be matched by increases in Early Years funding for settings across the city.
We feel it is critical that Early Years funding rates in Bristol for the next financial year reflect increased cost pressures if we are to avoid sharp fee increases for parents and prevent nursery settings from closure in 2025.
The team are always available to have an informal chat with Early Years practitioners of all experience levels and can be reached on 0117 930 4000 or by visiting here.