Employment growth easing in Kent Thames Gateway as pay holds at £2,773 a month
WageSight Wire · Aug 2026
- Employment
- 174,655 workers (July 2026)
- Monthly change
- -0.0% (-29 workers)
- Annual change
- +0.1% (+253 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,773/month (YoY: +4.5%, £119 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +5.2% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£52 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Kent Thames Gateway remained 0.1% higher than a year ago in July 2026, but was broadly unchanged on the month, a sign that growth may be moderating.
Across the South East, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.3% over the year to July 2026. Kent Thames Gateway ranked 2nd of 20 sub-regional areas in the South East by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Kent Thames Gateway stood at £2,773 in July 2026, up 4.5% 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 Kent Thames Gateway are now £52 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £2,182 a month. The total pay bill in Kent Thames Gateway rose 5.2% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Kent Thames Gateway outperformed 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.
“Employment in Kent Thames Gateway continues to grow, but the pace is beginning to ease. After a period of strong momentum, some moderation is not unexpected, the question is whether this represents a healthy consolidation or the early signs of a slowdown. The next few months of data will be telling.”
— 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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