ABERDEEN Asset Management has joined other major FTSE 100 firms in agreeing to pay its staff the Living Wage.

The industry giant confirmed it has become an accredited Living Wage employer, meaning it now pays its employees at least £7.65 an hour in its Aberdeen and Edinburgh offices.

London-based employees are guaranteed to receive the higher minimum rate of £8.80. Aberdeen Asset Management is now one of 32 companies in the City of London and 25 companies in Scotland to receive the accreditation, which issued by the Living Wage foundation.

Deputy chief executive Andrew Laing urged other financial firms to follow suit, saying none can operate at their best without a "strong support network of contracted staff".