Portsmouth jobs show signs of recovery as median pay reaches £2,545 a month
WageSight Wire · Aug 2026
- Employment
- 94,681 workers (July 2026)
- Monthly change
- +0.0% (+41 workers)
- Annual change
- -1.2% (-1,111 workers)
- Median pay
- £2,545/month (YoY: +4.6%, £113 more in cash terms)
- Total pay bill
- +3.6% on the year
- Real pay vs Feb 2022
- +£108 better off in real terms
Payrolled employment in Portsmouth fell 1.2% over the year to July 2026, with 94,681 workers on payroll. However, in the most recent month employers added 41 workers, a tentative sign that confidence may be returning.
Across the South East, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.3% over the year to July 2026. Portsmouth ranked 20th of 20 sub-regional areas in the South East by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in Portsmouth stood at £2,545 in July 2026, up 4.6% 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 Portsmouth are now £108 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,934 a month. The total pay bill in Portsmouth rose 3.6% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
Portsmouth's performance lagged behind 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.
“Compared to this time last year employers are reporting a reduction in the number of people on payroll. But the shorter term picture for jobs in Portsmouth is more encouraging. Maybe this is evidence of the dial turning. And pay is still nudging ahead inflation. Hopefully these are are the right signals.”
— Paul Hebden, Director, Campaign Salience
South East — employment and pay
| # | Area | Workers | Jobs (yr) | Median pay | Pay (yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Kent | 164,784 | +0.2% | £2,930 | +4.6% |
| 2 | Kent Thames Gateway | 174,655 | +0.2% | £2,773 | +4.5% |
| 3 | Mid Kent | 148,790 | +0.1% | £2,685 | +4.3% |
| 4 | South Hampshire | 205,832 | +0.1% | £2,675 | +4.5% |
| 5 | Medway | 131,545 | -0.1% | £2,731 | +4.6% |
| 6 | North Hampshire | 194,868 | -0.1% | £2,981 | +4.1% |
| 7 | East Sussex CC | 217,411 | -0.1% | £2,483 | +4.6% |
| 8 | Central Hampshire | 247,033 | -0.2% | £2,730 | +4.4% |
| 9 | Milton Keynes | 146,078 | -0.2% | £2,769 | +4.6% |
| 10 | East Kent | 208,749 | -0.3% | £2,508 | +4.3% |
| 11 | East Surrey | 187,977 | -0.3% | £3,135 | +4.3% |
| 12 | West Sussex (North East) | 201,532 | -0.3% | £2,846 | +4.4% |
| 13 | West Surrey | 377,974 | -0.4% | £3,098 | +4.1% |
| 14 | West Sussex (South West) | 194,970 | -0.4% | £2,543 | +4.5% |
| 15 | Oxfordshire CC | 349,112 | -0.4% | £2,961 | +5.0% |
| 16 | Buckinghamshire | 259,241 | -0.4% | £2,939 | +4.5% |
| 17 | Isle of Wight | 51,923 | -0.7% | £2,304 | +4.7% |
| 18 | Southampton | 115,928 | -0.8% | £2,585 | +4.4% |
| 19 | Brighton and Hove | 127,136 | -1.0% | £2,633 | +4.0% |
| 20 | Portsmouth | 94,681 | -1.2% | £2,545 | +4.6% |
Notes to editors
Figures from WageSight, derived from ONS / HMRC PAYE Real Time Information. Full method at wagesight.com/methodology.
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