Shropshire workers among lowest paid in West Midlands
Workers in Shropshire have among the lowest average salaries in the West Midlands, HMRC data shows.
Income inequality charity the Equality Trust says the figures, which reveal a gap of more than £35,000 between the UK's richest and poorest areas, "paint a bleak picture for our society".
The average worker in Telford and Wrekin made £19,900 before tax in the 2016-17 financial year, HMRC figures show.
That's the third-lowest income in the West Midlands, where the median is £21,300.
In Shropshire the average worker made £20,800 before tax, while in Powys it was £19,700.
HMRC uses the median, the middle number in a series, instead of the mean average, so the figures are not distorted by extreme highs and lows. The data only covers taxpayers, and does not include people who are self-employed.
In the West Midlands workers in Warwick have the highest median salary in the region at £25,400, while Wyre Forest employees have the lowest, at just £18,900.
Dr Wanda Wyporska, executive director of the Equality Trust, said: "These figures paint a bleak picture for our society, and we can see a huge divide between incomes in the north and the south [of the UK].
"These gaps are further evidence of the shockingly high level of inequality in the UK, which we know is linked to poverty, mental and physical ill-health, and lower levels of social mobility.
"This damages us all, rich and poor."
Across the UK, workers in the City of London have the highest income at £54,300, while employees in Boston, Lincolnshire, have the lowest, at just £17,600. The median is £23,600.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a poverty and social mobility charity, urged the Government to focus on strengthening the economies of poorer areas in the UK.
Head of policy and partnerships Katie Schmuecker said: “We all want to live in a society where working hard means being able to improve life for your family, but too many working people are locked in poverty by low pay and high costs. That is not right.
“All parts of the UK need access to the jobs and skills that provide a route out of poverty, and incomes need to match the rising costs which leave many working families struggling to decide which bills they can pay.
"Until work provides a reliable route out of poverty, too many workers will struggle to make ends meet.”
