Scottish Borders employment data covers June 2026
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 47,125 workers (June 2026)
- Monthly change
- -0.2% (-77 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.7% (-317 workers)
- Median pay
- data not available
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£96 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Scottish Borders fell 0.7% over the year to June 2026, 317 fewer workers, with a further monthly dip of 0.2% sustaining the downward pressure.
Across Scotland, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.1% over the year to June 2026. Scottish Borders ranked 18th of 20 sub-regional areas in Scotland by employment change over the past year.
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.
“The latest figures show payrolled employment falling across the UK. It's a challenging backdrop for workers, businesses and policymakers alike. With fewer people on payrolls than a year ago, the priority must be understanding which sectors and regions are most affected and what support is needed.”
— Paul Hebden, Director, Campaign Salience
Scotland — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, and Renfrewshire | 162,243 | +0.4% | £2,763 | +5.5% |
| 2 | South Lanarkshire | 150,815 | +0.2% | unknown | unknown |
| 3 | Caithness and Sutherland, and Ross and Cromarty | 39,582 | +0.2% | £2,536 | +4.4% |
| 4 | Inverness and Nairn, Moray, and Badenoch and Strathspey | 93,425 | +0.1% | unknown | unknown |
| 5 | Glasgow City | 276,199 | +0.1% | unknown | unknown |
| 6 | North Lanarkshire | 157,840 | +0.1% | unknown | unknown |
| 7 | South Ayrshire | 44,789 | +0.0% | unknown | unknown |
| 8 | Clackmannanshire and Fife | 182,544 | +0.0% | £2,631 | +4.8% |
| 9 | City of Edinburgh | 252,583 | +0.0% | unknown | unknown |
| 10 | West Lothian | 87,689 | +0.0% | unknown | unknown |
| 11 | North Ayrshire and East Ayrshire | 104,380 | -0.2% | £2,649 | +5.4% |
| 12 | East Lothian and Midlothian | 94,863 | -0.2% | £2,710 | +5.1% |
| 13 | Perth and Kinross, and Stirling | 107,794 | -0.2% | £2,628 | +4.0% |
| 14 | Angus and Dundee City | 113,509 | -0.3% | £2,556 | +5.1% |
| 15 | Falkirk | 74,473 | -0.4% | unknown | unknown |
| 16 | Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh, Arran and Cumbrae, and Argyll and Bute | 41,507 | -0.4% | £2,466 | +5.2% |
| 17 | Dumfries and Galloway | 58,524 | -0.4% | unknown | unknown |
| 18 | Scottish Borders | 47,125 | -0.7% | unknown | unknown |
| 19 | East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, and Helensburgh and Lomond | 10,024 | -0.9% | £2,776 | +3.8% |
| 20 | Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire | 225,510 | -1.1% | £2,779 | +3.9% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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