Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2009

Statistics on average gross weekly earnings in the UK down to Local Authority level include data for 2009. The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 14 November 2008.

The key points from the latest release are:

• Mean gross weekly earnings for full-time adults in Wales were £506.4 in April 2009, 86.2 per cent of the average for the UK as a whole (£587.3). Mean Gross weekly earnings in Wales increased by 1.7 per cent between 2008 and 2009, compared to a 2.0 per cent increase across the UK as a whole. The percentage increase in Wales was the fourth lowest out of the devolved countries and regions.
• Using the ONS’ preferred measure; median gross weekly earnings for adults in Wales were £440.8 in April 2009, 90.2 per cent of the average for the UK as a whole (£488.7). Median gross weekly earnings in Wales increased by 4.9 per cent between 2008 and 2009, compared to a 2.0 per cent increase across the UK as a whole. The percentage increase in Wales was the second largest out of the devolved countries and regions (behind Northern Ireland).
• Wales had the lowest mean and the 3rd lowest median weekly full-time earnings in the UK in 2009.  For the median, the North East and Northern Ireland were ranked lower.
• Average (mean) full-time hourly earnings for women in Wales in April 2009 were 91.2 per cent of the average for men.  This percentage was above that for the UK as a whole (83.6 per cent) and 2nd highest after Northern Ireland amongst the UK countries and English regions.
• Average (mean) part-time hourly earnings for women in Wales in April 2009 were 94.0 per cent of the average for men.  This percentage was above that for the UK as a whole (86.8 per cent) and 3rd highest after Scotland and Northern Ireland amongst the UK countries and English regions.
• Mean full-time earnings for those living in Wales increased by 1.8 per cent (to £515.8) over the year. The level in April 2009 was 87.8 per cent of the UK average. Using the median measure, earnings for those in Wales increased by 4.7 per cent (to £444.9) over the year (91.0 per cent of the UK average).
• On a workplace basis, full-time earnings in West Wales and the Valleys increased by more than the UK average between April 2008 and April 2009. On a residence basis, full-time earnings in East Wales increased by more than the average for the UK.
• The area of Cardiff, Newport and the Vale of Glamorgan had the highest workplace earnings in Wales for 2008 at £541.2, the lowest workplace earnings were in the area of Powys and Monmouthshire at £450.0.

Further information can be found on the StatsWales website.

We are currently undertaking a user consultation on Economic and Labour Market statistics. One of the areas we are looking at is moving from leading with the mean to leading with the median in our earnings outputs.

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 3971
E-mail: economic.stats@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

November 2010 (provisional – to be confirmed on Due Out Soon page)