NEARLY one in five Scots are still earning below the 'real living wage', new research shows.

The findings were published ahead of the start of Living Wage Week today, a campaign by the Living Wage Foundation..

Under the existing law there is a UK 'national living wage' of £7.50 per hour for over 25s set by Westminster. However, there is also a 'real living wage' of £8.45 – a voluntary benchmark – set at a rate based on the cost of living.

An estimated 404,000 Scottish employees – 18 per cent of the workforce – are not being paid that rate.

The findings were revealed in a new report published today by accountancy firm KPMG.

Across the UK, 5.5 million people (21 per cent) are paid less than the 'real living wage'.

The UK-wide figure was a reduction of around 100,000 compared to 2016.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly called on the UK Government to bring their national living wage up to the level of the real living wage.

SNP MSP Linda Fabiani said the move if implemented would raise wages by nearly £3000 a year.

She said: "It’s time for the Tories to get real over the living wage. Absolutely nobody has been fooled by their attempts to rebrand their minimum wage as the ‘national living wage’ – which does anything but what it says on the tin."