Jobs hold steady in Greater Manchester South West as median pay reaches £2,632 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 246,637 workers (June 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.0% (+49 workers)
- Annual change
- +0.2% (+408 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,632/month (YoY: +4.2%, £106 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +4.8% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£65 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Greater Manchester South West continued to grow in June 2026, with workers up 0.2% year-on-year, 408 more than a year ago, and was broadly unchanged on the month.
Across the North West, payrolled employment edged down 0.4% over the year to June 2026. Greater Manchester South West ranked 1st of 19 sub-regional areas in the North West by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Greater Manchester South West stood at £2,632 in June 2026, up 4.2% 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 Greater Manchester South West are now £65 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £2,059 a month. The total pay bill in Greater Manchester South West rose 4.8% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Greater Manchester South West outperformed the UK as a whole, where 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.
“The employment picture in Greater Manchester South West is genuinely encouraging. More people in work and real pay rising means households have more money in their pockets. That kind of momentum matters for local businesses and public services alike.”
— 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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