Brighton and Hove jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,633 a month
WageSight Wire · Aug 2026
- Employment
- 127,136 workers (July 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.1% (+108 workers)
- Annual change
- -1.0% (-1,227 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,633/month (YoY: +4.0%, £101 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +4.5% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£55 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Brighton and Hove fell 1% over the year to July 2026, with 127,136 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 108 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the South East, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.3% over the year to July 2026. Brighton and Hove ranked 19th of 20 sub-regional areas in the South East by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Brighton and Hove stood at £2,633 in July 2026, up 4.0% over the past year and ahead of inflation at 3.03%. After a period of sharp inflation from 2022 that eroded real earnings, wages have been recovering. Workers in Brighton and Hove are now £55 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £2,066 a month. The total pay bill in Brighton and Hove rose 4.5% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Brighton and Hove's performance lagged behind the UK as a whole, where payrolled employment edged down 0.3% over the year to July 2026. Across the UK, 580,736 workers entered payrolled employment in June 2026, the most recently available flow data, while 594,229 left, a net loss of 13,493 workers.
“The employment picture in Brighton and Hove is genuinely encouraging. More people in work and real pay rising means households have more money in their pockets. That kind of momentum matters for local businesses and public services alike.”
— Paul Hebden, Director, Campaign Salience
South East — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Kent | 164,784 | +0.2% | £2,930 | +4.6% |
| 2 | Kent Thames Gateway | 174,655 | +0.2% | £2,773 | +4.5% |
| 3 | Mid Kent | 148,790 | +0.1% | £2,685 | +4.3% |
| 4 | South Hampshire | 205,832 | +0.1% | £2,675 | +4.5% |
| 5 | Medway | 131,545 | -0.1% | £2,731 | +4.6% |
| 6 | North Hampshire | 194,868 | -0.1% | £2,981 | +4.1% |
| 7 | East Sussex CC | 217,411 | -0.1% | £2,483 | +4.6% |
| 8 | Central Hampshire | 247,033 | -0.2% | £2,730 | +4.4% |
| 9 | Milton Keynes | 146,078 | -0.2% | £2,769 | +4.6% |
| 10 | East Kent | 208,749 | -0.3% | £2,508 | +4.3% |
| 11 | East Surrey | 187,977 | -0.3% | £3,135 | +4.3% |
| 12 | West Sussex (North East) | 201,532 | -0.3% | £2,846 | +4.4% |
| 13 | West Surrey | 377,974 | -0.4% | £3,098 | +4.1% |
| 14 | West Sussex (South West) | 194,970 | -0.4% | £2,543 | +4.5% |
| 15 | Oxfordshire CC | 349,112 | -0.4% | £2,961 | +5.0% |
| 16 | Buckinghamshire | 259,241 | -0.4% | £2,939 | +4.5% |
| 17 | Isle of Wight | 51,923 | -0.7% | £2,304 | +4.7% |
| 18 | Southampton | 115,928 | -0.8% | £2,585 | +4.4% |
| 19 | Brighton and Hove | 127,136 | -1.0% | £2,633 | +4.0% |
| 20 | Portsmouth | 94,681 | -1.2% | £2,545 | +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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