Leeds jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,566 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 374,033 workers (June 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.1% (+297 workers)
- Annual change
- -34 workers
- Median pay
- £2,566/month (YoY: +4.4%, £109 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +3.9% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£48 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Leeds was broadly stable over the year to June 2026, with 374,033 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 297 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across Yorkshire and The Humber, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.2% over the year to June 2026. Leeds ranked 4th of 12 sub-regional areas in Yorkshire and The Humber by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Leeds stood at £2,566 in June 2026, up 4.4% 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 Leeds are now £48 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £2,026 a month. The total pay bill in Leeds rose 3.9% 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 Leeds. 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
Yorkshire and The Humber — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hull | 122,764 | +0.3% | £2,407 | +5.6% |
| 2 | York | 93,782 | +0.2% | £2,536 | +4.9% |
| 3 | East Riding of Yorkshire | 148,229 | +0.2% | £2,535 | +5.0% |
| 4 | Leeds | 374,033 | +0.0% | £2,566 | +4.4% |
| 5 | Bradford | 217,492 | -0.1% | £2,349 | +4.6% |
| 6 | North and North East Lincolnshire | 142,843 | -0.1% | £2,440 | +5.5% |
| 7 | Doncaster | 135,268 | -0.2% | £2,439 | +5.0% |
| 8 | Calderdale and Kirklees | 273,619 | -0.2% | £2,459 | +4.6% |
| 9 | Wakefield | 160,042 | -0.5% | £2,555 | +4.5% |
| 10 | Barnsley | 106,577 | -0.5% | £2,456 | +5.0% |
| 11 | Rotherham | 113,503 | -0.7% | £2,442 | +4.6% |
| 12 | Sheffield | 271,863 | -0.8% | unknown | unknown |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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