Derby jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,522 a month
WageSight Wire · Aug 2026
- Employment
- 119,065 workers (July 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.0% (+30 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.2% (-294 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,522/month (YoY: +4.8%, £116 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +4.9% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£98 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Derby fell 0.2% over the year to July 2026, with 119,065 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 30 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the East Midlands, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.2% over the year to July 2026. Derby ranked 6th of 11 sub-regional areas in the East Midlands by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Derby stood at £2,522 in July 2026, up 4.8% 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 Derby are now £98 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,927 a month. The total pay bill in Derby rose 4.9% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Nationally, 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.
“Latest figures show that employers in Derby have seen a dip in payroll compared to the same month last year. It's hard to tell if this is businesses bracing agains the impact of the current economic uncertainty on inflation. On the flip side, wages for those in work continues to surge. The positive story is that workers in Derby are seeing their pay packets grow. That's money in people's pockets, and it matters for local businesses and public services. But there will be understandable concern at the employment picture.”
— Paul Hebden, Campaign Salience
East Midlands — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Northamptonshire | 174,000 | +0.5% | unknown | unknown |
| 2 | Leicestershire CC and Rutland | 343,352 | +0.2% | £2,636 | +3.9% |
| 3 | South Nottinghamshire | 157,562 | +0.0% | £2,689 | +4.7% |
| 4 | North Nottinghamshire | 214,442 | +0.0% | £2,509 | +4.6% |
| 5 | Leicester | 170,252 | -0.1% | £2,328 | +5.2% |
| 6 | Derby | 119,065 | -0.2% | £2,522 | +4.8% |
| 7 | West Northamptonshire | 207,137 | -0.2% | unknown | unknown |
| 8 | East Derbyshire | 125,688 | -0.3% | £2,508 | +4.6% |
| 9 | Nottingham | 134,525 | -0.4% | £2,382 | +4.8% |
| 10 | Lincolnshire CC | 333,458 | -0.5% | £2,491 | +4.9% |
| 11 | South and West Derbyshire | 229,916 | -0.7% | £2,600 | +4.5% |
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].