Ipswich jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,467 a month
WageSight Wire · Aug 2026
- Employment
- 67,053 workers (May 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.1% (+61 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.8% (-569 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,467/month (YoY: +4.2%, £100 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +3.4% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£83 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Ipswich fell 0.8% over the year to May 2026, with 67,053 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 61 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the East of England, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.1% over the year to May 2026. Ipswich ranked 41st of 45 towns and cities in the East of England by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Ipswich stood at £2,467 in May 2026, up 4.2% 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 Ipswich are now £83 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,908 a month. The total pay bill in Ipswich rose 3.4% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Ipswich's performance lagged behind the UK as a whole, where payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.3% over the year to May 2026. Across the UK, 592,425 workers entered payrolled employment in May 2026, the most recently available flow data, while 594,786 left, a net loss of 2,361 workers.
“Latest figures show that employers in Ipswich 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 Ipswich 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 of England — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mid Suffolk | 45,547 | +0.6% | £2,593 | +4.0% |
| 2 | Luton | 108,603 | +0.5% | £2,491 | +5.1% |
| 3 | Breckland | 61,286 | +0.4% | £2,472 | +3.9% |
| 4 | East Cambridgeshire | 42,856 | +0.4% | £2,774 | +3.0% |
| 5 | Broadland | 58,336 | +0.2% | £2,513 | +4.9% |
| 6 | Stevenage | 43,703 | +0.2% | £2,809 | +5.1% |
| 7 | Thurrock | 85,553 | +0.2% | £2,786 | +4.5% |
| 8 | Rochford | 38,285 | +0.2% | £2,801 | +4.4% |
| 9 | Welwyn Hatfield | 58,525 | +0.1% | £2,773 | +3.9% |
| 10 | Tendring | 55,612 | +0.1% | £2,363 | +4.4% |
| 11 | Central Bedfordshire | 143,181 | +0.1% | £2,884 | +4.4% |
| 12 | Bedford | 89,262 | +0.1% | £2,696 | +4.6% |
| 13 | Basildon | 87,158 | +0.0% | £2,808 | +5.0% |
| 14 | South Cambridgeshire | 78,932 | +0.0% | £3,053 | +3.5% |
| 15 | Castle Point | 38,366 | +0.0% | £2,709 | +5.2% |
| 16 | Babergh | 38,846 | +0.0% | £2,524 | +5.3% |
| 17 | Colchester | 89,954 | -0.1% | £2,646 | +4.8% |
| 18 | Dacorum | 72,971 | -0.1% | £2,900 | +4.7% |
| 19 | East Hertfordshire | 72,406 | -0.1% | £3,037 | +4.3% |
| 20 | Watford | 52,100 | -0.1% | £2,903 | +3.9% |
| 21 | North Hertfordshire | 63,038 | -0.2% | £3,071 | +4.1% |
| 22 | West Suffolk | 78,525 | -0.2% | £2,613 | +4.5% |
| 23 | Brentwood | 36,241 | -0.3% | £3,283 | +4.4% |
| 24 | Norwich | 65,315 | -0.3% | £2,438 | +4.8% |
| 25 | Braintree | 71,063 | -0.3% | £2,678 | +4.9% |
| 26 | St Albans | 69,681 | -0.3% | £3,420 | +3.8% |
| 27 | Uttlesford | 42,982 | -0.4% | £2,848 | +4.6% |
| 28 | Maldon | 28,541 | -0.4% | £2,590 | +4.4% |
| 29 | Broxbourne | 46,514 | -0.4% | £2,728 | +4.4% |
| 30 | South Norfolk | 62,312 | -0.4% | £2,593 | +4.6% |
| 31 | Peterborough | 103,589 | -0.5% | £2,458 | +4.6% |
| 32 | Great Yarmouth | 41,945 | -0.5% | £2,311 | +4.7% |
| 33 | Chelmsford | 87,730 | -0.6% | £2,928 | +4.8% |
| 34 | East Suffolk | 97,943 | -0.6% | £2,425 | +4.8% |
| 35 | Epping Forest | 61,392 | -0.6% | £2,937 | +4.3% |
| 36 | Three Rivers | 43,629 | -0.7% | £3,108 | +4.0% |
| 37 | Huntingdonshire | 86,581 | -0.7% | £2,776 | +4.7% |
| 38 | Hertsmere | 48,948 | -0.8% | £2,909 | +4.4% |
| 39 | Kings Lynn and West Norfolk | 61,866 | -0.8% | £2,408 | +4.0% |
| 40 | Southend on Sea | 79,609 | -0.8% | £2,685 | +5.1% |
| 41 | Ipswich | 67,053 | -0.8% | £2,467 | +4.2% |
| 42 | Fenland | 45,409 | -0.9% | £2,510 | +3.9% |
| 43 | Cambridge | 67,884 | -0.9% | £3,109 | +3.7% |
| 44 | Harlow | 45,318 | -1.0% | £2,694 | +5.1% |
| 45 | North Norfolk | 35,598 | -1.2% | £2,256 | +3.8% |
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].