Jobs hold steady in Greater Manchester South West as median pay reaches £2,650 a month
WageSight Wire · Aug 2026
- Employment
- 246,806 workers (July 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.0% (+18 workers)
- Annual change
- +0.2% (+476 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,650/month (YoY: +4.4%, £111 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +5.3% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£73 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Greater Manchester South West continued to grow in July 2026, with workers up 0.2% year-on-year, 476 more than a year ago, and was broadly unchanged on the month.
Across the North West, payrolled employment edged down 0.4% over the year to July 2026. Greater Manchester South West ranked 1st of 19 sub-regional areas in the North West by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Greater Manchester South West stood at £2,650 in July 2026, up 4.4% 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 Greater Manchester South West are now £73 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £2,059 a month. The total pay bill in Greater Manchester South West rose 5.3% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Greater Manchester South West 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.
“Greater Manchester South West is outperforming the national picture and stronger employment and better pay growth points to a local economy that is working well for all. Understanding what’s driving that is as important as celebrating it.”
— Paul Hebden, Director, Campaign Salience
North West — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greater Manchester South West | 246,806 | +0.2% | £2,650 | +4.4% |
| 2 | Cheshire East | 185,383 | +0.0% | £2,692 | +4.8% |
| 3 | Mid Lancashire | 186,490 | -0.1% | £2,546 | +4.9% |
| 4 | Wirral | 137,403 | -0.1% | £2,592 | +4.8% |
| 5 | Greater Manchester South East | 241,054 | -0.3% | £2,628 | +4.2% |
| 6 | Greater Manchester North West | 276,641 | -0.3% | £2,505 | +4.7% |
| 7 | Warrington | 100,955 | -0.4% | £2,649 | +3.9% |
| 8 | East Merseyside | 210,116 | -0.4% | £2,594 | +4.6% |
| 9 | Greater Manchester North East | 280,042 | -0.4% | £2,458 | +4.4% |
| 10 | Cheshire West | 163,423 | -0.4% | £2,628 | +4.3% |
| 11 | Chorley and West Lancashire | 104,278 | -0.5% | £2,603 | +4.7% |
| 12 | East Lancashire | 142,374 | -0.5% | £2,404 | +4.9% |
| 13 | Sefton | 117,529 | -0.6% | £2,569 | +5.8% |
| 14 | Manchester | 253,521 | -0.7% | £2,461 | +4.3% |
| 15 | Liverpool | 216,419 | -0.7% | £2,524 | +5.7% |
| 16 | Lancaster and Wyre | 104,318 | -0.8% | £2,460 | +4.9% |
| 17 | Blackburn with Darwen | 64,827 | -0.8% | £2,330 | +4.7% |
| 18 | West Cumbria | 103,929 | -0.9% | £2,722 | +4.3% |
| 19 | Blackpool | 58,772 | -1.2% | £2,353 | +5.5% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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