Leeds offers best wages in North England, says report

Leeds offers the highest salaries for professionals and graduates across the North of England, making the city a desirable location for those in search of work.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) were analysed by ManpowerGroup and the Humber Pay League, with Leeds coming out on top among the major northern cities.

Paying more cash

The average full time worker in the city were found to earn a comfortable £30,600 – £2,700 more than those in Sheffield and £1,700 more than professionals in the Manchester area.

The research firms also claim that Leeds is set to lead growth in the advanced manufacturing, creative and digital sectors.

However, despite the success in the northern city there is still a huge pay gap regionally, especially between Yorkshire and the rest of the country, with £29,000 being the average full time salary in the area – £4,500 less than the national average.

Becoming the northern capital

Councillor Mohammad Rafique, Leeds City Council’s Executive Member of Employment, said the report is extremely positive for Leeds.

He explained that Leeds is set to not only be the Yorkshire capital but also the northern capital, especially in terms of growth and job creation.

ManpowerGroup also found that the average salary in Hull stood at £24,300 and was the lowest in the region, while wages in Yorkshire had fallen by 0.8% in the past 12 months – more than the UK average of 0.6%.

With Leeds continuing to storm ahead in the race of pay, employers could be set to witness a crowd of graduates flocking to the city.

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