Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2011

Statistics on average gross weekly earnings in the UK down to Local Authority level include data for 2011. The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 8 December 2010.

The key points from the latest release are:

• Mean gross weekly earnings for full-time adults in Wales were £519.4 in April 2011, 85.8 per cent of the average for the UK as a whole (£605.5). Mean gross weekly earnings in Wales increased by 0.7 per cent between 2010 and 2011, compared to 1.2 per cent increase across the UK as a whole. The percentage increase in Wales was the sixth highest out of the devolved countries and regions.
• Median gross weekly earnings for full-time adults in Wales were £454.4 in April 2011, 90.8 per cent of the average for the UK as a whole (£500.7). Median gross weekly earnings in Wales increased by 0.8 per cent between 2010 and 2011, compared to a 0.4 per cent increase across the UK as a whole. The percentage increase in Wales was the seventh largest out of the devolved countries and regions.
• Relative to the UK mean gross weekly earnings were the same in 2011 (85.8 per cent) as they were in 2001 (85.8 per cent). Relative to the UK median gross weekly earnings were also the same in 2011 (90.8 per cent) as they were in 2001 (90.8 per cent).
• Wales had the lowest mean and the third lowest median weekly full-time earnings in the UK in 2011. For the median, the North East and Northern Ireland were ranked lower.
• Average (mean) full-time hourly earnings for women in Wales in April 2011 were 93.2 per cent of the average for men.  This percentage was above that for the UK as a whole (85.1 per cent) and second smallest after Northern Ireland amongst the UK countries and English regions.
• Average (mean) part-time hourly earnings for women in Wales in April 2011 were 99.0 per cent of the average for men.  This percentage was above that for the UK as a whole (90.9 per cent) and the third smallest after Northern Ireland and Scotland amongst the UK countries and English regions.
• The gender pay gap on a full-time basis increased between 2010 and 2011 in Wales but decreased in the UK. In Wales the gap has increased by 0.5 percentage points and in the UK it narrowed by 0.6 percentage points. The part time gap in Wales narrowed by 0.6 percentage points and in the UK it narrowed by 1.5 percentage points [NB: the part time pay gap below the UK level can be volatile].
• Mean full-time earnings for those living in Wales increased by 0.4 per cent (to £528.7) over the year. The level in 2011 was 87.2 per cent of the UK average. Using the median measure, earnings for those in Wales increased by 0.8 per cent (to £460.0) over the year (91.9 per cent of the UK average).
• On a workplace basis, between April 2010 and April 2011, average (mean) gross weekly earnings for full-time adults in West Wales and the Valleys remained unchanged whilst East Wales increased by 1.6 per cent, the increase for East Wales was above the increase for Wales, the UK and the UKX.
• The area of Cardiff, Newport and the Vale of Glamorgan had the highest mean workplace earnings in Wales for 2011 at £557.8, the lowest workplace earnings were in the area of Powys and Monmouthshire at £474.0.

Further information

Statswales website

Contact

Tel: 029 20825017
E-mail: economic.stats@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

November 2012 (provisional – to be confirmed on Due Out Soon page)