UK Scales Back Future Minimum Wage Hikes After 10% Jump This Year

• Britain's government ending push to use minimum wage hikes to narrow pay gap, offering some relief to employers after this year's nearly 10% jump • Minimum wage for over 21s to rise to £11.44/hr in April - hitting 2/3 of median earnings for that age group • For 2025, minimum wage to rise in line with median earnings rather than outpace them • Expert panel advises likely 2025 increase is 3.9% to £11.89/hr • Employers say big recent increases have put pressure on them to raise prices or reduce hiring