Nottingham jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,372 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 134,250 workers (June 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.1% (+109 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.6% (-765 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,372/month (YoY: +5.0%, £114 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +3.5% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£118 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Nottingham fell 0.6% over the year to June 2026, with 134,250 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 109 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the East Midlands, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.1% over the year to June 2026. Nottingham ranked 11th of 11 sub-regional areas in the East Midlands by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Nottingham stood at £2,372 in June 2026, up 5.0% 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 Nottingham are now £118 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,788 a month. The total pay bill in Nottingham rose 3.5% 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 Nottingham. 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 Midlands — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Northamptonshire | 174,081 | +0.6% | unknown | unknown |
| 2 | Leicestershire CC and Rutland | 343,495 | +0.4% | £2,630 | +4.5% |
| 3 | South Nottinghamshire | 157,706 | +0.1% | £2,674 | +5.1% |
| 4 | North Nottinghamshire | 214,536 | +0.0% | £2,495 | +5.1% |
| 5 | Derby | 119,258 | -0.1% | £2,513 | +5.3% |
| 6 | West Northamptonshire | 207,395 | -0.1% | unknown | unknown |
| 7 | East Derbyshire | 125,888 | -0.2% | £2,492 | +5.1% |
| 8 | Leicester | 169,908 | -0.4% | £2,314 | +5.3% |
| 9 | Lincolnshire CC | 333,917 | -0.4% | £2,475 | +5.0% |
| 10 | South and West Derbyshire | 230,433 | -0.4% | £2,586 | +4.8% |
| 11 | Nottingham | 134,250 | -0.6% | £2,372 | +5.0% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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