Jobs hold steady in Norwich and East Norfolk as median pay reaches £2,432 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 166,035 workers (June 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.0% (+53 workers)
- Annual change
- +0.2% (+405 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,432/month (YoY: +4.7%, £109 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +5.2% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£98 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Norwich and East Norfolk continued to grow in June 2026, with workers up 0.2% year-on-year, 405 more than a year ago, and was broadly unchanged on the month.
Across the East of England, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.1% over the year to June 2026. Norwich and East Norfolk ranked 3rd of 17 sub-regional areas in the East of England by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Norwich and East Norfolk stood at £2,432 in June 2026, up 4.7% 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 Norwich and East Norfolk are now £98 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 Norwich and East Norfolk rose 5.2% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Norwich and East Norfolk 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 Norwich and East Norfolk 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
East of England — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luton | 108,406 | +0.4% | £2,496 | +5.5% |
| 2 | Thurrock | 85,620 | +0.3% | £2,790 | +4.2% |
| 3 | Norwich and East Norfolk | 166,035 | +0.2% | £2,432 | +4.7% |
| 4 | Breckland and South Norfolk | 123,889 | +0.2% | £2,538 | +4.4% |
| 5 | Central Bedfordshire | 143,163 | +0.2% | £2,890 | +4.4% |
| 6 | Bedford | 89,241 | +0.2% | £2,705 | +4.8% |
| 7 | Essex Thames Gateway | 163,943 | +0.1% | £2,786 | +4.8% |
| 8 | Essex Haven Gateway | 216,544 | -0.1% | £2,592 | +4.6% |
| 9 | West Suffolk | 78,525 | -0.2% | £2,613 | +4.5% |
| 10 | Peterborough | 103,442 | -0.4% | £2,472 | +5.0% |
| 11 | Cambridgeshire CC | 321,503 | -0.4% | £2,858 | +4.3% |
| 12 | Heart of Essex | 152,446 | -0.4% | £2,933 | +4.8% |
| 13 | West Essex | 149,960 | -0.4% | £2,821 | +4.4% |
| 14 | East Suffolk | 97,943 | -0.6% | £2,425 | +4.8% |
| 15 | North and West Norfolk | 97,676 | -0.6% | £2,367 | +4.5% |
| 16 | Southend | 79,629 | -0.7% | £2,697 | +5.2% |
| 17 | Ipswich | 67,053 | -0.8% | £2,467 | +4.2% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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