Employment falls in Dundee City as pay rises to £2,530 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 64,532 workers (May 2026)
- Monthly change
- -0.1% (-67 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.3% (-208 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,530/month (YoY: +6.5%, £154 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +5.3% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£131 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Dundee City fell 0.3% over the year to May 2026, 208 fewer workers, with a further monthly dip of 0.1% sustaining the downward pressure.
Across Scotland, payrolled employment edged down 0.3% over the year to May 2026. Dundee City ranked 37th of 69 towns and cities in Scotland by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Dundee City stood at £2,530 in May 2026, up 6.5% 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 Dundee City are now £131 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,904 a month. The total pay bill in Dundee City rose 5.3% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Nationally, 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.
“Employers in Dundee City have reported a significant dip in payroll in the latest figures. It's too early to tell if this is businesses bracing agains the impact of the current economic uncertainty on inflation. On the flip side, wages for those in work continues to surge. The positive story is that workers in Dundee City are seeing their pay packets grow. That's money in people's pockets, and it matters for local businesses and public services. But there will be understandable concern at the employment picture.”
— Paul Hebden, Campaign Salience
Scotland — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orkney Islands | 10,046 | +1.3% | £2,554 | +5.8% |
| 2 | Orkney Islands | 10,046 | +1.3% | £2,554 | +5.8% |
| 3 | Na h Eileanan Siar | 11,811 | +1.0% | £2,679 | +5.7% |
| 4 | Na h-Eileanan Siar | 11,811 | +1.0% | £2,679 | +5.7% |
| 5 | Badenoch and Strathspey | 6,196 | +0.9% | £2,409 | +5.2% |
| 6 | Renfrewshire | 86,918 | +0.8% | £2,722 | +5.1% |
| 7 | Renfrewshire | 86,918 | +0.8% | £2,722 | +5.1% |
| 8 | Shetland Islands | 11,569 | +0.8% | £2,814 | +5.5% |
| 9 | Shetland Islands | 11,569 | +0.8% | £2,814 | +5.5% |
| 10 | Skye and Lochalsh | 5,421 | +0.7% | £2,484 | +6.6% |
| 11 | East Dunbartonshire | 48,155 | +0.6% | £2,991 | +5.5% |
| 12 | East Dunbartonshire | 48,155 | +0.6% | £2,991 | +5.5% |
| 13 | Argyll and Bute Islands | 3,462 | +0.2% | £2,422 | +4.8% |
| 14 | South Lanarkshire | 150,666 | +0.1% | £2,742 | +5.4% |
| 15 | South Lanarkshire | 150,666 | +0.1% | £2,742 | +5.4% |
| 16 | North East Moray | 31,312 | +0.0% | £2,553 | +4.6% |
| 17 | Fife | 159,950 | +0.0% | £2,614 | +5.0% |
| 18 | Fife | 159,950 | +0.0% | £2,614 | +5.0% |
| 19 | West Dunbartonshire | 40,378 | +0.0% | £2,651 | +6.2% |
| 20 | West Dunbartonshire | 40,378 | +0.0% | £2,651 | +6.2% |
| 21 | Angus | 49,052 | +0.0% | £2,567 | +4.8% |
| 22 | Angus | 49,052 | +0.0% | £2,567 | +4.8% |
| 23 | Ross and Cromarty | 23,723 | +0.0% | £2,493 | +4.5% |
| 24 | South Ayrshire | 44,696 | -0.1% | £2,616 | +5.9% |
| 25 | South Ayrshire | 44,696 | -0.1% | £2,616 | +5.9% |
| 26 | East Renfrewshire | 42,558 | -0.1% | £2,967 | +6.3% |
| 27 | East Renfrewshire | 42,558 | -0.1% | £2,967 | +6.3% |
| 28 | North Lanarkshire | 157,560 | -0.2% | £2,712 | +5.2% |
| 29 | North Lanarkshire | 157,560 | -0.2% | £2,712 | +5.2% |
| 30 | Inverness and Nairn | 46,130 | -0.2% | £2,639 | +5.8% |
| 31 | Glasgow City | 275,812 | -0.2% | £2,591 | +5.3% |
| 32 | Glasgow City | 275,812 | -0.2% | £2,591 | +5.3% |
| 33 | North Ayrshire mainland | 52,722 | -0.2% | £2,619 | +5.7% |
| 34 | Clackmannanshire | 22,482 | -0.2% | £2,664 | +5.0% |
| 35 | Clackmannanshire | 22,482 | -0.2% | £2,664 | +5.0% |
| 36 | West Moray | 9,802 | -0.3% | £2,518 | +4.5% |
| 37 | Dundee City | 64,532 | -0.3% | £2,530 | +6.5% |
| 38 | Dundee City | 64,532 | -0.3% | £2,530 | +6.5% |
| 39 | City of Edinburgh | 251,862 | -0.3% | £2,804 | +4.9% |
| 40 | City of Edinburgh | 251,862 | -0.3% | £2,804 | +4.9% |
| 41 | Caithness and Sutherland | 15,738 | -0.3% | £2,584 | +15.8% |
| 42 | Perth and Kinross | 67,316 | -0.4% | £2,607 | +5.1% |
| 43 | Perth and Kinross | 67,316 | -0.4% | £2,607 | +5.1% |
| 44 | East Lothian | 48,991 | -0.4% | £2,694 | +5.7% |
| 45 | East Lothian | 48,991 | -0.4% | £2,694 | +5.7% |
| 46 | Midlothian | 45,714 | -0.4% | £2,715 | +5.4% |
| 47 | Midlothian | 45,714 | -0.4% | £2,715 | +5.4% |
| 48 | Argyll and Bute Mainland | 21,062 | -0.4% | £2,485 | +6.0% |
| 49 | West Lothian | 87,439 | -0.4% | £2,718 | +4.9% |
| 50 | West Lothian | 87,439 | -0.4% | £2,718 | +4.9% |
| 51 | East Ayrshire | 51,593 | -0.4% | £2,646 | +5.6% |
| 52 | East Ayrshire | 51,593 | -0.4% | £2,646 | +5.6% |
| 53 | Dumfries and Galloway | 58,548 | -0.6% | £2,457 | +5.5% |
| 54 | Dumfries and Galloway | 58,548 | -0.6% | £2,457 | +5.5% |
| 55 | Lochaber | 9,439 | -0.7% | £2,544 | +5.7% |
| 56 | Arran and Cumbrae | 2,206 | -0.8% | £2,150 | +1.0% |
| 57 | Scottish Borders | 47,109 | -0.8% | £2,475 | +5.4% |
| 58 | Scottish Borders | 47,109 | -0.8% | £2,475 | +5.4% |
| 59 | Falkirk | 74,294 | -0.8% | £2,726 | +5.1% |
| 60 | Falkirk | 74,294 | -0.8% | £2,726 | +5.1% |
| 61 | Inverclyde | 32,491 | -0.8% | £2,608 | +5.0% |
| 62 | Inverclyde | 32,491 | -0.8% | £2,608 | +5.0% |
| 63 | Stirling | 40,238 | -0.8% | £2,678 | +5.0% |
| 64 | Stirling | 40,238 | -0.8% | £2,678 | +5.0% |
| 65 | Helensburgh and Lomond | 10,024 | -0.9% | £2,776 | +3.8% |
| 66 | Aberdeenshire | 118,576 | -1.3% | £2,757 | +3.6% |
| 67 | Aberdeenshire | 118,576 | -1.3% | £2,757 | +3.6% |
| 68 | Aberdeen City | 106,577 | -1.7% | £2,769 | +3.9% |
| 69 | Aberdeen City | 106,577 | -1.7% | £2,769 | +3.9% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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