Leeds wages up but jobs growth rate is slower

Figures from BRES (the UK business register and employment survey) show that in 2016 - the latest available data - Leeds reported a 0.94 per cent increase in private sector employment. This is the sixth successive year on year increase the city has seen.

However it is the lowest annual rise of all the core cities outside London apart from Newcastle, which saw a decrease of 0.22 per cent.

The biggest reported growth rate was in Manchester (8.99 per cent), with Liverpool reporting a 5.14 per cent rate and Edinburgh 3.57 per cent.

However in real terms, Leeds has 366,000 people in private sector work compared to just 315,000 in Manchester, 186,000 in Liverpool and 258,000 in Edinburgh.

The figures were presented to Leeds City Council’s inclusive growth, culture and sport scrutiny board yesterday, which noted that Leeds remains the country’s third largest private sector jobs market behind Birmingham and London.

The panel was also told that according to latest figures up to November 2017, average earnings in Leeds went up last year from £508.90 to £518.70 a week, an increase of 1.9 per cent. Average pay for full time workers went up 1.6 per cent to £619.60, and it was up 5.5 per cent for part time workers to £225.

However low pay overall continues to be an issue in the city, with one in every five workers still earning less than the real Living Wage of £8.45 an hour.