Sutton wages lower than national average

8:25am Thursday 8th January 2009

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Sutton has emerged as one of only four London boroughs where full-time workers earn less than the national average salary.

Barristers and Big Brother contestants are clearly based elsewhere, as the average annual pay here was £30,031 last year – a figure £16,000 lower than the capital average.

This puts Sutton £2,000 below neighbouring Croydon in the GMB union pay league and paints a bleak picture, when more than 4,500 small businesses across the city are predicted to face bankruptcy this year.

Conservative group members seized on the survey results as evidence that Sutton town centre was failing to attract significant investment.

Councillor Tim Crowley, opposition finance spokesman, said: “The GMB survey not only shows average salaries in Sutton are well below the outer London average, but also show it flounder at 30th out of 33 London boroughs.

“It appears that, after 22 years of Liberal Democrat control, Sutton has failed to grasp the economic opportunities that benefit neighbouring Croydon, Merton and Kingston. Whichever way you read it, this is not good news.”

Paul Kenny, GMB general secretary, added: “This analysis of pay for April 2008 shows the areas in the capital that replaced skilled manufacturing jobs lost in the recessions in the 1980s and 1990s and those areas still to do so.”

A task force of community leaders is meeting this month to discuss how to support local firms that struggled over Christmas.

Councillor Sean Brennan, leader of Sutton Council said: “Our economic recovery plan is already offering financial help.

“By bringing together the expertise of our private, public and voluntary organisations we will continue to build on it to support the community.”