Cornwall and Isles of Scilly jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,332 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 229,433 workers (June 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.0% (+44 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.3% (-670 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,332/month (YoY: +5.6%, £123 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +4.8% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£101 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly fell 0.3% over the year to June 2026, with 229,433 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 44 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the South West, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.2% over the year to June 2026. Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ranked 7th of 12 sub-regional areas in the South West by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly stood at £2,332 in June 2026, up 5.6% over the past year and ahead of inflation at 2.82%. After a period of sharp inflation from 2022 that eroded real earnings, wages have been recovering. Workers in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly are now £101 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,775 a month. The total pay bill in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly rose 4.8% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Nationally, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.2% over the year to June 2026. Across the UK, 599,257 workers entered payrolled employment in May 2026, the most recently available flow data, while 596,423 left, a net gain of 2,834 workers.
“After a sustained period of pressure on household finances, we’re starting to see the dial turn in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. 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
South West — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wiltshire | 231,097 | +0.0% | £2,661 | +5.0% |
| 2 | Bristol | 231,621 | +0.0% | £2,688 | +4.7% |
| 3 | Swindon | 116,643 | -0.1% | £2,675 | +4.5% |
| 4 | North Somerset | 99,974 | -0.1% | £2,600 | +4.2% |
| 5 | Somerset | 245,938 | -0.1% | £2,516 | +5.5% |
| 6 | Gloucestershire CC | 290,029 | -0.1% | £2,586 | +4.9% |
| 7 | Cornwall and Isles of Scilly | 229,433 | -0.3% | £2,332 | +5.6% |
| 8 | Torbay | 54,649 | -0.3% | £2,310 | +5.1% |
| 9 | Devon CC | 329,673 | -0.4% | £2,407 | +5.4% |
| 10 | Plymouth | 119,290 | -0.4% | £2,520 | +5.2% |
| 11 | Dorset | 151,099 | -0.5% | £2,412 | +4.6% |
| 12 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 175,117 | -1.2% | £2,508 | +4.6% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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