Aldi to increase pay for second time this year

Aldi has announced its second pay rise of 2024 as supermarkets battle for staff and prepare for higher minimum wage levels.

The increase means the minimum hourly rate for store workers at Aldi will be £12.40 nationwide from 1 June.

The compulsory National Living Wage is set to rise to £11.44 an hour in April and for the first time it will include 21 and 22-year-olds.

Aldi is now the UK’s fourth largest supermarket chain with more than 1,000 stores.

The retailer said its new minimum hourly rate for store assistants and deputy store managers outside the M25 would rise from £12 to £12.40.

For those within the M25, pay will increase from £13.55 an hour to £13.65.

The past few weeks have seen a series of pay rise announcements from the big supermarket chains, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and M&S.

Aldi said its latest move meant it had now invested £79m in pay so far this year.

The retailer is also planning to create 5,500 new jobs in the UK this year as it seeks to increase its market share.