Hartlepool jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,417 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 37,499 workers (May 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.1% (+24 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.5% (-172 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,417/month (YoY: +4.0%, £93 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +4.6% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£90 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Hartlepool fell 0.5% over the year to May 2026, with 37,499 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 24 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the North East, payrolled employment edged down 0.5% over the year to May 2026. Hartlepool ranked 6th of 12 towns and cities in the North East by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Hartlepool stood at £2,417 in May 2026, up 4.0% 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 Hartlepool are now £90 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,859 a month. The total pay bill in Hartlepool rose 4.6% 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.
“After a sustained period of pressure on household finances, we’re starting to see the dial turn in Hartlepool. 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 East — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darlington | 49,523 | +0.4% | £2,476 | +4.5% |
| 2 | Sunderland | 118,159 | +0.1% | £2,462 | +4.2% |
| 3 | Stockton on Tees | 86,111 | -0.2% | £2,533 | +4.6% |
| 4 | North Tyneside | 94,673 | -0.3% | £2,609 | +4.9% |
| 5 | Gateshead | 86,312 | -0.4% | £2,491 | +4.4% |
| 6 | Hartlepool | 37,499 | -0.5% | £2,417 | +4.0% |
| 7 | County Durham | 211,110 | -0.5% | £2,497 | +4.6% |
| 8 | Northumberland | 131,957 | -0.5% | £2,461 | +4.8% |
| 9 | Redcar and Cleveland | 53,979 | -0.7% | £2,430 | +5.1% |
| 10 | South Tyneside | 61,697 | -0.7% | £2,477 | +4.7% |
| 11 | Newcastle Upon Tyne | 126,735 | -0.9% | £2,454 | +4.4% |
| 12 | Middlesbrough | 63,177 | -1.2% | £2,389 | +4.9% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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