SOUTH Ayrshire is one of the top ten areas in Scotland with the most jobs not paying the living wage.
The council area is the seventh highest in the country for failing to hit the benchmark.
The living wage is a voluntary pay standard for employees aged 18 and over who are not apprentices, interns or trainees.
Currently, for all people working outwith London, the living wage is £7.85 an hour. In London, it is £9.15.the seventh highest area in Scotland where most jobs don’t pay the living wage. 
The proportion of employees receiving less than the living wage that in South Ayrshire is 24.7 per cent, almost six per cent higher than the Scottish average of 19 per cent. 
The situation is not much better in neighbouring local authority areas.
The workers in South Ayrshire are ranked slightly higher than those in North Ayrshire, which came in at 23.3 per cent, but lower than East Ayrshire which was 26.3 per cent.
Although some national companies operating in South Ayrshire pay the living wage, only one local employer is an accredited Living Wage employer.
Across the country, Angus had the highest figures with 33 per cent of employees jobs paying less than the £7.85 living wage, closely followed by East Renfrewshire at 30.6 per cent. 
By law, employers have to pay workers a National Minimum Wage and this depends on a worker’s age and whether or not they are an apprentice.
The 2015 rate is £6.70 for those aged 21 and over; £5.30 for 18 to 20-year-olds; £3.87 for under 18s and £3.30 for apprentices aged 16 to 18 and those aged 19 or over who are in their first year of training.
The Living Wage is set independently and updated annually.
It is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK.
Advocates believe that it is good for business, good for the individual and good for society.
Jennifer Dunn, the SNP candidate for Ayr constituency, has pledged to register as a living wage employer if she is elected in May.
The Holyrood hopeful said: “The living wage is important because it gives workers dignity and stability. It also has many benefits for employers, including improved staff retention and a lower rate of absenteeism.
“Low pay is a real issue for many families in Ayr, Prestwick and Troon, and everyone deserves a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work.”
MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, Corri Wilson, said: “There has been some real progress across Scotland with employers recognising the benefits of the paying the living wage, but these figures show that there is still some way to go in easing in-work poverty in our rural communities."
She continued: “As new jobs are created it is important they pay enough to provide people with a decent standard of living, and employers already signed up to paying their staff the living wage are reporting increased staff morale, reduced absenteeism and higher levels of productivity.”