WORKERS are still struggling to make ends meet, with many struggling to pay bills, according to research today.

The Work Foundation said its study suggested that the government’s pledge to raise living standards faces a “substantial challenge.”

Its survey of almost 4,000 workers found that one in six said they struggle to pay their bills each month, and two in five revealed they have little income left for savings or holidays.

Years of wage stagnation and the cost-of-living crisis mean that for many, wages still do not cover basic living costs, the report said.

The Work Foundation noted recent ONS figures indicating that 1.35 million people have second jobs — an increase of 121,000 on the year and the highest level since records began in 1992.

Ben Harrison, director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, said: “Raising living standards is not just about figures on a spreadsheet, it’s about workers feeling more financially secure.

“Four years on from the start of the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, our analysis shows workers continue to feel the impact of nearly 20 years of stagnating pay packets.”