East Lancashire jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,392 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 142,350 workers (June 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.1% (+162 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.5% (-676 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,392/month (YoY: +4.9%, £112 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +4.9% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£99 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in East Lancashire fell 0.5% over the year to June 2026, with 142,350 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 162 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the North West, payrolled employment edged down 0.4% over the year to June 2026. East Lancashire ranked 11th of 19 sub-regional areas in the North West by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in East Lancashire stood at £2,392 in June 2026, up 4.9% 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 East Lancashire are now £99 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,825 a month. The total pay bill in East Lancashire rose 4.9% 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 East Lancashire. 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 — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greater Manchester South West | 246,637 | +0.2% | £2,632 | +4.2% |
| 2 | Wirral | 137,666 | +0.0% | £2,567 | +4.6% |
| 3 | Cheshire East | 185,565 | +0.0% | £2,666 | +4.5% |
| 4 | Mid Lancashire | 186,550 | -0.1% | £2,537 | +5.4% |
| 5 | Cheshire West | 163,814 | -0.2% | £2,610 | +4.4% |
| 6 | Greater Manchester North West | 276,863 | -0.2% | £2,489 | +4.9% |
| 7 | Greater Manchester South East | 241,142 | -0.3% | £2,621 | +4.8% |
| 8 | Chorley and West Lancashire | 104,394 | -0.4% | £2,589 | +5.2% |
| 9 | East Merseyside | 210,091 | -0.4% | £2,581 | +5.0% |
| 10 | Greater Manchester North East | 280,080 | -0.4% | £2,443 | +4.8% |
| 11 | East Lancashire | 142,350 | -0.5% | £2,392 | +4.9% |
| 12 | Warrington | 100,839 | -0.6% | £2,644 | +4.4% |
| 13 | West Cumbria | 104,154 | -0.6% | £2,727 | +5.1% |
| 14 | Sefton | 117,457 | -0.6% | £2,536 | +5.2% |
| 15 | Blackburn with Darwen | 64,967 | -0.7% | £2,318 | +4.7% |
| 16 | Lancaster and Wyre | 104,306 | -0.8% | £2,452 | +5.5% |
| 17 | Liverpool | 215,896 | -0.8% | £2,496 | +5.3% |
| 18 | Manchester | 252,802 | -1.0% | £2,452 | +4.6% |
| 19 | Blackpool | 58,838 | -1.2% | £2,343 | +5.9% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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