Jobs hold steady in Leicestershire CC and Rutland as median pay reaches £2,636 a month
WageSight Wire · Aug 2026
- Employment
- 343,352 workers (July 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.1% (+279 workers)
- Annual change
- +0.2% (+853 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,636/month (YoY: +3.9%, £100 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +5.4% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£72 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Leicestershire CC and Rutland continued to grow in July 2026, with workers up 0.2% year-on-year, 853 more than a year ago, and rising a further 0.1% on the month.
Across the East Midlands, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.2% over the year to July 2026. Leicestershire CC and Rutland ranked 2nd of 11 sub-regional areas in the East Midlands by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Leicestershire CC and Rutland stood at £2,636 in July 2026, up 3.9% 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 Leicestershire CC and Rutland are now £72 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £2,049 a month. The total pay bill in Leicestershire CC and Rutland rose 5.4% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Leicestershire CC and Rutland 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.
“The employment picture in Leicestershire CC and Rutland is genuinely encouraging. More people in work and real pay rising means households have more money in their pockets. That kind of momentum matters for local businesses and public services alike.”
— Paul Hebden, Director, 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.
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