South Hams jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,417 a month
WageSight Wire · Jul 2026
- Employment
- 34,010 workers (May 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.5% (+171 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.1% (-49 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,417/month (YoY: +5.6%, £129 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +5.3% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£105 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in South Hams fell 0.1% over the year to May 2026, with 34,010 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 171 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the South West, payrolled employment edged down 0.4% over the year to May 2026. South Hams ranked 9th of 30 towns and cities in the South West by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in South Hams stood at £2,417 in May 2026, up 5.6% over the past year and ahead of inflation at 2.97%. After a period of sharp inflation from 2022 that eroded real earnings, wages have been recovering. Workers in South Hams are now £105 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,842 a month. The total pay bill in South Hams rose 5.3% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Nationally, payrolled employment edged down 0.4% over the year to May 2026. Across the UK, 539,199 workers entered payrolled employment in April 2026, the most recently available flow data, while 591,851 left, a net loss of 52,652 workers.
“After a sustained period of pressure on household finances, we’re starting to see the dial turn in South Hams. 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
South West — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sedgemoor | 56,508 | +0.8% | £2,554 | +5.4% |
| 2 | Gloucester | 65,951 | +0.5% | £2,527 | +4.3% |
| 3 | Tewkesbury | 43,069 | +0.3% | £2,631 | +4.9% |
| 4 | Isles of Scilly | 982 | +0.2% | £2,346 | +5.6% |
| 5 | South Gloucestershire | 147,903 | +0.1% | £2,697 | +4.1% |
| 6 | Exeter | 58,538 | +0.0% | £2,498 | +5.1% |
| 7 | North Somerset | 99,974 | -0.1% | £2,600 | +4.2% |
| 8 | Swindon | 116,754 | -0.1% | £2,646 | +3.5% |
| 9 | South Hams | 34,010 | -0.1% | £2,417 | +5.6% |
| 10 | Wiltshire | 230,980 | -0.2% | £2,642 | +4.6% |
| 11 | Plymouth | 119,745 | -0.2% | £2,513 | +5.2% |
| 12 | Torridge | 25,554 | -0.2% | £2,249 | +5.1% |
| 13 | Forest of Dean | 35,685 | -0.3% | £2,484 | +5.4% |
| 14 | Bristol | 231,154 | -0.3% | £2,676 | +4.5% |
| 15 | Mendip | 49,006 | -0.4% | £2,406 | +4.6% |
| 16 | West Devon | 20,677 | -0.4% | £2,365 | +4.2% |
| 17 | Teignbridge | 55,891 | -0.5% | £2,412 | +5.0% |
| 18 | Stroud | 53,548 | -0.5% | £2,577 | +3.5% |
| 19 | Dorset | 151,099 | -0.5% | £2,412 | +4.6% |
| 20 | Cornwall | 228,201 | -0.6% | £2,312 | +4.6% |
| 21 | Torbay | 54,615 | -0.6% | £2,304 | +4.9% |
| 22 | Mid Devon | 35,966 | -0.6% | £2,399 | +4.0% |
| 23 | Somerset West and Taunton | 67,051 | -0.8% | £2,503 | +5.7% |
| 24 | South Somerset | 73,147 | -0.8% | £2,505 | +4.6% |
| 25 | Cheltenham | 53,806 | -0.8% | £2,630 | +5.0% |
| 26 | Bath and North East Somerset | 84,145 | -0.9% | £2,584 | +4.6% |
| 27 | East Devon | 58,487 | -0.9% | £2,398 | +5.0% |
| 28 | North Devon | 40,343 | -0.9% | £2,298 | +5.2% |
| 29 | Cotswold | 37,960 | -1.1% | £2,588 | +4.4% |
| 30 | Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole | 175,117 | -1.2% | £2,508 | +4.6% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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