Peterborough jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,486 a month
WageSight Wire · Aug 2026
- Employment
- 103,729 workers (July 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.4% (+366 workers)
- Annual change
- -91 workers
- Median pay
- £2,486/month (YoY: +5.2%, £123 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +6.0% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£68 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Peterborough was broadly stable over the year to July 2026, with 103,729 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 366 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the East of England, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.2% over the year to July 2026. Peterborough ranked 6th of 17 sub-regional areas in the East of England by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Peterborough stood at £2,486 in July 2026, up 5.2% 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 Peterborough are now £68 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,932 a month. The total pay bill in Peterborough rose 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.
“The employment picture in Peterborough 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 of England — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luton | 108,575 | +0.6% | £2,514 | +5.4% |
| 2 | Thurrock | 85,596 | +0.2% | £2,801 | +4.1% |
| 3 | Essex Haven Gateway | 217,118 | +0.1% | £2,617 | +4.8% |
| 4 | Bedford | 89,230 | +0.0% | £2,712 | +4.3% |
| 5 | Central Bedfordshire | 142,908 | -0.1% | £2,903 | +4.3% |
| 6 | Peterborough | 103,729 | -0.1% | £2,486 | +5.2% |
| 7 | Breckland and South Norfolk | 123,482 | -0.1% | £2,561 | +4.5% |
| 8 | Essex Thames Gateway | 163,581 | -0.1% | £2,804 | +4.8% |
| 9 | West Suffolk | 78,525 | -0.2% | £2,613 | +4.5% |
| 10 | Norwich and East Norfolk | 165,370 | -0.2% | £2,443 | +4.5% |
| 11 | West Essex | 149,933 | -0.4% | £2,839 | +4.6% |
| 12 | Heart of Essex | 152,414 | -0.4% | £2,953 | +4.8% |
| 13 | Cambridgeshire CC | 321,140 | -0.5% | £2,874 | +4.2% |
| 14 | East Suffolk | 97,943 | -0.6% | £2,425 | +4.8% |
| 15 | Southend | 79,648 | -0.6% | £2,719 | +5.3% |
| 16 | Ipswich | 67,053 | -0.8% | £2,467 | +4.2% |
| 17 | North and West Norfolk | 97,369 | -1.0% | £2,398 | +4.9% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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