State of the Cornish nation: pay

What’s been happening to wages and salaries in Cornwall recently? The gross weekly pay of full-time workers in Cornwall, although still languishing behind that of Britain as a whole, has been catching up since 2021. Time will tell whether this is a post-covid short-term blip or whether it means the long-awaited ‘high-wage economy’ that policy-makers promise us has finally begun to materialise. Of course, this ignores the issue of who gets those high-paid jobs.

Moreover, the number of employees in full-time work in Cornwall is only 61% of the total, compared with 69% in Britain. The proportion of part-time jobs has been unchanged since 2016, hovering between 39 and 41% of the total. In addition, the highest occupational classes, among whom we will find the best paid, account for only 42.7% of people in employment in Cornwall, compared with a British average of 52.6%.

The presence of those with degree level qualifications might offer a clue as to where the higher paid jobs are likely to be found. The mean for Cornwall is 30.6% of adults, with the highest proportions – over 43% – living at Truro and Mylor and the lowest – 20-21% – at Bodmin and Roche, as the map below illustrates.