Barrow-in-Furness jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,779 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 31,424 workers (May 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.4% (+135 workers)
- Annual change
- -1.0% (-319 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,779/month (YoY: +8.6%, £219 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +2.3% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£177 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Barrow-in-Furness fell 1% over the year to May 2026, with 31,424 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 135 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across North West (England), payrolled employment edged down 0.6% over the year to May 2026. Barrow-in-Furness ranked 31st of 39 towns and cities in North West (England) by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Barrow-in-Furness stood at £2,779 in May 2026, up 8.6% over the past year and ahead of inflation at 2.97%. After a period of sharp inflation from 2022 that eroded real earnings, wages have been recovering. Workers in Barrow-in-Furness are now £177 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £2,053 a month. The total pay bill in Barrow-in-Furness rose 2.3% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Barrow-in-Furness's performance lagged behind the UK as a whole, where payrolled employment edged down 0.4% over the year to May 2026. Across the UK, 539,199 workers entered payrolled employment in April 2026, the most recently available flow data, while 591,851 left, a net loss of 52,652 workers.
“After a sustained period of pressure on household finances, we’re starting to see the dial turn in Barrow-in-Furness. Employment is holding up and pay is beginning to outpace inflation. It’s early, but these are the right signals.”
— Paul Hebden, Director, Campaign Salience
North West (England) — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salford | 135,645 | +0.5% | £2,537 | +4.4% |
| 2 | Cheshire East | 185,741 | +0.1% | £2,670 | +5.1% |
| 3 | Preston | 73,138 | +0.1% | £2,412 | +5.3% |
| 4 | Wirral | 137,500 | -0.2% | £2,563 | +4.7% |
| 5 | South Ribble | 52,060 | -0.2% | £2,653 | +5.4% |
| 6 | Stockport | 136,127 | -0.2% | £2,701 | +5.2% |
| 7 | Cheshire West | 163,699 | -0.3% | £2,607 | +4.5% |
| 8 | St Helens | 81,737 | -0.3% | £2,593 | +4.9% |
| 9 | Halton | 58,270 | -0.3% | £2,591 | +4.7% |
| 10 | Wigan | 149,759 | -0.3% | £2,554 | +4.2% |
| 11 | Ribble Valley | 28,177 | -0.4% | £2,599 | +4.5% |
| 12 | Bolton | 126,583 | -0.4% | £2,372 | +4.6% |
| 13 | Copeland | 30,358 | -0.4% | £2,924 | +1.9% |
| 14 | Chorley | 53,210 | -0.4% | £2,615 | +4.2% |
| 15 | Trafford | 110,555 | -0.5% | £2,786 | +5.0% |
| 16 | Carlisle | 52,229 | -0.5% | £2,454 | +5.0% |
| 17 | Rossendale | 31,008 | -0.5% | £2,519 | +4.6% |
| 18 | Rochdale | 94,963 | -0.6% | £2,420 | +4.6% |
| 19 | West Lancashire | 51,179 | -0.6% | £2,524 | +4.7% |
| 20 | Warrington | 100,924 | -0.6% | £2,630 | +4.1% |
| 21 | Tameside | 104,567 | -0.6% | £2,520 | +4.6% |
| 22 | Knowsley | 70,152 | -0.6% | £2,526 | +4.9% |
| 23 | Sefton | 117,461 | -0.7% | £2,526 | +4.9% |
| 24 | Pendle | 37,548 | -0.7% | £2,302 | +5.3% |
| 25 | Blackburn with Darwen | 64,843 | -0.7% | £2,312 | +4.8% |
| 26 | Oldham | 99,153 | -0.8% | £2,355 | +4.8% |
| 27 | Allerdale | 42,356 | -0.9% | £2,527 | +4.1% |
| 28 | Wyre | 44,794 | -0.9% | £2,443 | +5.6% |
| 29 | Manchester | 252,878 | -1.0% | £2,441 | +4.5% |
| 30 | Bury | 85,284 | -1.0% | £2,544 | +4.4% |
| 31 | Barrow-in-Furness | 31,424 | -1.0% | £2,779 | +8.6% |
| 32 | Lancaster | 59,464 | -1.0% | £2,439 | +5.3% |
| 33 | Hyndburn | 34,384 | -1.1% | £2,394 | +4.9% |
| 34 | Burnley | 38,995 | -1.1% | £2,370 | +5.3% |
| 35 | Liverpool | 215,500 | -1.1% | £2,488 | +4.9% |
| 36 | Eden | 23,120 | -1.2% | £2,356 | +4.1% |
| 37 | South Lakeland | 44,543 | -1.2% | £2,382 | +5.2% |
| 38 | Blackpool | 58,821 | -1.4% | £2,326 | +5.4% |
| 39 | Fylde | 32,908 | -1.5% | £2,535 | +5.2% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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