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Thriving economy

Jobs, pay and opportunity. Resident earnings describe people who live here; workplace earnings describe jobs located here, including commuters.

At a glance

Figures refer to their stated period.

73.3%

Employment rate

Annual Population Survey estimate; subject to sampling uncertainty.

ONS / Nomis · April 2025–March 2026

Checked 3 October 2026

22.4%

Economic inactivity rate

Includes students, carers and people unable to work; survey estimate.

ONS / Nomis · April 2025–March 2026

Checked 3 October 2026

4.8%

Model-based unemployment rate

ONS model-based estimate, preferred over the smaller local survey estimate.

ONS / Nomis · April 2025–March 2026

Checked 3 October 2026

4.2%

Claimant count rate

Not the unemployment rate. Includes people required to look for work who receive Universal Credit or JSA; not seasonally adjusted.

ONS / Nomis · August 2026

Checked 3 October 2026

7,440people

People on the claimant count

ONS / Nomis · August 2026

Checked 3 October 2026

£724.40

Median full-time resident weekly pay

Gross weekly employee pay; ASHE resident analysis. This is not annual earnings.

ONS / Nomis · 2025

Checked 3 October 2026

£781.50

Median full-time workplace weekly pay

Employees working in Southampton, including commuters; not resident earnings.

ONS / Nomis · 2025

Checked 3 October 2026

127,000

Total jobs

Jobs include employees, self-employed, government-supported trainees and HM Forces.

ONS / Nomis · 2024

Checked 3 October 2026

7,285

VAT/PAYE registered enterprises

ONS Inter-Departmental Business Register; excludes businesses below registration thresholds.

ONS / Nomis · 2026

Checked 3 October 2026

26,000

Health and social work employee jobs

BRES workplace estimate; not the workforce of a single hospital.

ONS / Nomis · 2024

Checked 3 October 2026

Put the figures in context

Pay: residents and workplaces2025
Southampton residents£724.40
Southampton workplaces£781.50
Great Britain residents£766.60

Source: ONS / Nomis · 2025

Checked 3 October 2026

Gross weekly employee pay; ASHE resident analysis. This is not annual earnings.

MeasureValuePeriod
Median full-time resident weekly pay£724.402025
Median full-time workplace weekly pay£781.502025
Great Britain median weekly pay£766.602025
Claimant count over timeJanuary 2016–August 2026 · not seasonally adjusted
Percent0.0%3.9%7.8% 20162017201920202022202320252026

Source: ONS / Nomis

Checked 3 October 2026

MonthRate (%)
January 20161.5
February 20161.5
March 20161.6
April 20161.6
May 20161.5
June 20161.4
July 20161.4
August 20161.4
September 20161.4
October 20161.4
November 20161.3
December 20161.3
January 20171.3
February 20171.4
March 20171.4
April 20171.4
May 20171.5
June 20171.6
July 20171.7
August 20171.9
September 20172
October 20172.1
November 20172.1
December 20172.2
January 20182.2
February 20182.4
March 20182.5
April 20182.8
May 20182.6
June 20182.6
July 20182.6
August 20182.6
September 20182.6
October 20182.6
November 20182.7
December 20182.8
January 20192.8
February 20193
March 20192.9
April 20192.9
May 20192.9
June 20193
July 20193
August 20193.1
September 20193
October 20193.1
November 20193.1
December 20193.1
January 20203.1
February 20203.3
March 20203.3
April 20205.6
May 20207
June 20206.8
July 20206.9
August 20207
September 20206.9
October 20206.8
November 20206.9
December 20206.8
January 20216.8
February 20217.1
March 20217.2
April 20217.1
May 20216.6
June 20216.1
July 20216
August 20215.7
September 20215.4
October 20215.2
November 20215
December 20214.9
January 20224.7
February 20224.7
March 20224.6
April 20224.4
May 20224.2
June 20224.2
July 20224
August 20224
September 20223.8
October 20223.8
November 20223.9
December 20223.9
January 20233.8
February 20233.9
March 20233.9
April 20233.9
May 20233.8
June 20233.9
July 20233.9
August 20233.9
September 20233.9
October 20233.8
November 20233.9
December 20233.9
January 20243.9
February 20244.1
March 20244.1
April 20244.1
May 20244.1
June 20244.2
July 20244.3
August 20244.3
September 20244.3
October 20244.3
November 20244.2
December 20244.1
January 20254.2
February 20254.4
March 20254.3
April 20254.2
May 20254.2
June 20254.1
July 20254
August 20254
September 20254
October 20254
November 20254
December 20254
January 20264.1
February 20264.2
March 20264.2
April 20264.2
May 20264.1
June 20264.1
July 20264.1
August 20264.2

The evidence

Compare definitions as well as values.

MeasureSouthampton / areaPeriodSource
Employment rate73.3%
% aged 16–64 · Southampton		April 2025–March 2026ONS / Nomis
Great Britain employment rate75.5%
% aged 16–64 · Great Britain		April 2025–March 2026ONS / Nomis
Economic inactivity rate22.4%
% aged 16–64 · Southampton		April 2025–March 2026ONS / Nomis
Model-based unemployment rate4.8%
% of economically active people aged 16+ · Southampton		April 2025–March 2026ONS / Nomis
Claimant count rate4.2%
% of residents aged 16–64 · Southampton		August 2026ONS / Nomis
People on the claimant count7,440
people · Southampton		August 2026ONS / Nomis
Median full-time resident weekly pay£724.40
a week · Southampton		2025ONS / Nomis
Great Britain median weekly pay£766.60
a week · Great Britain		2025ONS / Nomis
Median full-time workplace weekly pay£781.50
a week · Southampton		2025ONS / Nomis
Total jobs127,000
jobs · Southampton		2024ONS / Nomis
VAT/PAYE registered enterprises7,285
enterprises · Southampton		2026ONS / Nomis
Health and social work employee jobs26,000
jobs · Southampton		2024ONS / Nomis

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