Manchester jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,461 a month
WageSight Wire · Aug 2026
- Employment
- 253,521 workers (July 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.1% (+129 workers)
- Annual change
- -0.7% (-1,682 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,461/month (YoY: +4.3%, £102 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +4.4% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£89 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Manchester fell 0.7% over the year to July 2026, with 253,521 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 129 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the North West, payrolled employment edged down 0.4% over the year to July 2026. Manchester ranked 14th of 19 sub-regional areas in the North West by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Manchester stood at £2,461 in July 2026, up 4.3% 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 Manchester are now £89 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,888 a month. The total pay bill in Manchester rose 4.4% 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.
“The employment picture in Manchester 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
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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