The Surrey borough where you can earn an average £230 more than your neighbours
The Surrey boroughs where you can earn an average £230 more than your neighbours
In 2024, people in Elmbridge were earning around £1,010 a week, while those in Spelthorne were on just £779.
Surrey might have the highest average weekly pay in its group (£874 – nearly 17 per cent above the average), but there are big paycheck gaps between neighbouring boroughs.
Surrey County Council says a new jobs and skills plan is designed to tackle these huge pay gaps and make work fairer across the county.
The Workforce, Employment and Skills Framework, set to be approved this month, links good jobs not just to a stronger economy, but to better health too.
Council bosses say it will bring together more than 60 overlapping support schemes that are currently running across Surrey.
But the numbers show there’s a stark gaps in employment and opportunity. Surrey may be rich on paper, but more than 130,000 people aren’t in work – often because of long-term sickness or caring responsibilities.
People with learning disabilities struggle even more, and residents without qualifications face bigger hurdles than elsewhere in England.
Families are feeling the pinch too. Nearly 23,000 children are growing up in low-income households, even though most of their parents are in work. And the number of families claiming Universal Credit has jumped more than 14 per cent in just a year.
Surrey County Council leader Tim Oliver says housing costs are the biggest problem, adding that Surrey also struggles with a shortage of skilled workers.
“I don’t even know what the answer is,” he admitted.
The new plan aims to make support easier to access through a “one-stop shop” called STEP Surrey, launching this autumn.
Two big programmes – Work Well and Connect to Work – will focus on people with health conditions and other barriers to getting a job.
Council officials say the goal is simple: make sure good jobs and fair pay are available across Surrey, not just in the wealthiest areas.
The new countywide jobs and skills plan, set to be signed off this month, claims ‘good work’ is the key not only to boosting the economy but also improving people’s health.