North and West Norfolk jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,367 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 97,676 workers (June 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.0% (+12 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.6% (-586 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,367/month (YoY: +4.5%, £101 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +4.2% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£80 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in North and West Norfolk fell 0.6% over the year to June 2026, with 97,676 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 12 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the East of England, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.1% over the year to June 2026. North and West Norfolk ranked 15th of 17 sub-regional areas in the East of England by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in North and West Norfolk stood at £2,367 in June 2026, up 4.5% 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 North and West Norfolk are now £80 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,827 a month. The total pay bill in North and West Norfolk rose 4.2% 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 North and West Norfolk. 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
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.
WageSight's newswire places sourced local economic stories — with expert comment — in front of news desks across the UK. To discuss providing commentary for stories in your area or sector, contact [email protected].