FX.co ★ UK Payroll Employment Drops for 5th Month

The number of payrolled employees in the United Kingdom fell by 11,000 to 30.3 million in January 2026, following a downwardly revised decline of 6,000 in December. This was the fifth consecutive monthly decrease. On an annual basis, payrolled employment was down 0.4%, equivalent to a fall of 134,000 employees.

By sector, the largest reduction in payrolled employees occurred in wholesale and retail (–65,000), while the health and social work sector recorded the largest increase (+39,000). At the regional level (NUTS3), Westminster experienced a 2.7% drop in payrolled employment, in contrast to Mid Ulster, which saw a 2.3% rise.

In contrast to the decline in headcount, median monthly pay increased by 4.6% year-on-year to £2,588. The strongest growth in median pay was seen in the wholesale and retail sector (+6.2%), while the finance and insurance sector posted the weakest increase (+2.1%).