A new report highlights a staggering £20,000 salary gap across Britain, revealing stark pay differences between regions.
London: A recent report has shed light on the huge pay disparities across Britain. It turns out that average salaries in the South East are about £12,800 higher than in the lowest-paying areas. And if you look at London, that gap nearly doubles to almost £20,000!
Places like Burnley, Huddersfield, and Middlesbrough are at the bottom of the pay scale, while cities with more high-tech jobs, like London and Cambridge, are thriving. The Centre for Cities, which put out the report, pointed out that by August, a London worker will have earned what someone in Burnley makes in a year.
It’s all about the types of jobs available. Cities with higher salaries have a lot more cutting-edge firms and jobs in sectors like biotech and AI. The report emphasizes that the government needs to step up its game to boost economic growth across the country.
Interestingly, out of 63 towns and cities with above-average salaries, 56 are in the South East. Only a handful, like Leeds and Bristol, are outside that region. Andrew Carter, the chief executive of Centre for Cities, stressed that the government must act boldly and quickly to address these disparities.
He believes that changes to planning rules could help create more housing in expensive areas, and the Industrial Strategy should focus on growing the cutting edge of the economy. Fast-tracking English devolution is also crucial so that cities can have the power to improve pay where it’s most needed.
