The national minimum wage will go up to £6.19 an hour in October, the government has announced. Business Secretary Vince Cable said that the decision to put the rate up by 11p an hour and freeze the rate for younger workers marked the "right balance between pay and jobs". This increase is 1.8% from the current level, which is lower than inflation but in line with the average increase in earnings, which rose by 1.4% over the year to January.