Gwynedd jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,334 a month
WageSight Wire · Aug 2026
- Employment
- 48,617 workers (July 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.1% (+53 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.6% (-295 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,334/month (YoY: +3.2%, £73 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +5.6% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£66 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Gwynedd fell 0.6% over the year to July 2026, with 48,617 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 53 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across Wales, payrolled employment edged down 0.5% over the year to July 2026. Gwynedd ranked 8th of 10 sub-regional areas in Wales by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Gwynedd stood at £2,334 in July 2026, up 3.2% over the past year, broadly matching inflation of 3.03%. After a period of sharp inflation from 2022 that eroded real earnings, wages have been recovering. But workers in Gwynedd are still only £66 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,811 a month. The total pay bill in Gwynedd rose 5.6% 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.
“Compared to this time last year employers are reporting a reduction in the number of people on payroll. But the shorter term picture for jobs in Gwynedd is more encouraging. Maybe this is evidence of the dial turning. And pay is still nudging ahead inflation. Hopefully these are are the right signals.”
— Paul Hebden, Director, Campaign Salience
Wales — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monmouthshire and Newport | 112,536 | +0.0% | £2,633 | +4.2% |
| 2 | Isle of Anglesey | 26,107 | -0.2% | £2,423 | +3.4% |
| 3 | South West Wales | 147,632 | -0.3% | £2,375 | +4.3% |
| 4 | Flintshire and Wrexham | 132,834 | -0.4% | £2,577 | +4.2% |
| 5 | Neath Port Talbot | 57,190 | -0.5% | £2,510 | +5.3% |
| 6 | Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan | 220,029 | -0.5% | £2,607 | +4.2% |
| 7 | Gwent Valleys | 142,403 | -0.6% | £2,562 | +5.0% |
| 8 | Gwynedd | 48,617 | -0.6% | £2,334 | +3.2% |
| 9 | Conwy and Denbighshire | 83,710 | -0.8% | £2,389 | +3.4% |
| 10 | Swansea | 101,162 | -1.1% | £2,487 | +5.1% |
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].