Payrolled employment in South West Wales fell 0.1% over the year to June 2026, 211 fewer workers, with a further monthly dip of 0.1% sustaining the downward pressure.
Across Wales, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.2% over the year to June 2026. South West Wales ranked 6th of 10 sub-regional areas in Wales by employment change over the past year.
The median pay packet for workers in South West Wales stood at £2,365 in June 2026, up 4.8% over the past year and ahead of inflation at 2.97%. After a period of sharp inflation from 2022 that eroded real earnings, wages have been recovering. Workers in South West Wales are now £88 a month better off in real terms than in February 2022, when median earnings stood at £1,810 a month. The total pay bill in South West Wales rose 4.6% over the year, faster than headcount, suggesting average earnings per worker are improving.
The data is from analysis of the latest HMRC Real Time Information (RTISA) and ONS Consumer Price Statistics by WageSight.
Wales — Employment and Pay by Sub-region (June 2026)
Rk Area Workers Emp 1yr Pay (£) Pay 1yr
1 Monmouthshire and Newport 112,528 +0.2% £2,612 +4.5%
2 Isle of Anglesey 26,205 +0.1% £2,432 +5.2%
3 Flintshire and Wrexham 133,355 +0.1% £2,566 +4.6%
4 Gwynedd 48,866 0.0% £2,335 +4.5%
5 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan 220,500 -0.1% £2,598 +4.8%
6 South West Wales* 147,736 -0.1% £2,365 +4.8%
7 Conwy and Denbighshire 84,254 -0.2% £2,385 +5.0%
8 Gwent Valleys 142,784 -0.2% £2,536 +4.6%
9 Neath Port Talbot† 57,190 -0.5% £2,510 +5.3%
10 Swansea 101,044 -1.1% £2,469 +5.5%
* = South West Wales
† Most recent available data (prior period)
Paul Hebden, Campaign Salience, said: “Employers in South West Wales have reported a significant dip in payroll in the latest figures. It’s too early to tell if this is businesses bracing agains the impact of the current economic uncertainty on inflation. On the flip side, wages for those in work continues to surge. The positive story is that workers in South West Wales are seeing their pay packets grow. That’s money in people’s pockets, and it matters for local businesses and public services. But there will be understandable concern at the employment picture.”
Nationally, payrolled employment was broadly flat, down 0.2% over the year to June 2026. Across the UK, 599,257 workers entered payrolled employment in May 2026, the most recently available flow data, while 596,423 left, a net gain of 2,834 workers.
