SOUTHEND is the country’s lowest paid area with an average weekly pay of just £413, latest figures have revealed.

The data, which was put together by Centre for Cities and commissioned by the BBC, show that the Southend area, which includes Castle Point and Rochford, is ranked as the UK’s lowest paid urban area.

At £413 per week, average pay in Southend is just over half that in the capital where the average weekly pay is £727 - the highest sum in the country.

The figure relates to jobs in the Southend area as opposed to residents’ earnings - and could be the reason one in five workers commute to London for work.

The number of people earning their money in London means that the average salary among those Southend residents is £144 higher than it is for those who actually work in the town.

David Burch, of the Essex Chamber of Commerce said: “It is obviously concerning when reports are produced with headline statements which actually detract from all the positive work that is going on to stimulate growth and generate higher paid jobs.

“The reality is that the economy of the Southend area is growing as can be seen with developments at the airport, the plans to develop a business park as well as other work and investment being carried out by both local businesses and the three councils.

“Alongside that, steps are also being taken in the local schools and colleges to improve the skills of young people so I don’t think the picture is as bleak as might be suggested from the figures.”

One of the area’s biggest employers says that people enjoy working for the company because of their benefits and flexibility.

Phillip Miller, chief executive of Stockvale which owns Adventure Island as well as other ventures, said: “We employ about 700 on a permanent basis - it rises at peak times to over 1,000a thousand.

“We have a highly skilled dedicated management team of 100a hundred or so who generally receive far more than London rates.

“This is why they are here and not there.

“The students love working for us and we have a queue trying to get in with not many trying to escape.

“Everyone is in line for bonuses whether full or part time - we never stop assessing. We like to think we have given them a good start in life before they are unleashed on the big wide world.”

Tom Carmen, who runs landscaping company Greenbox Property Services, added: “It’s not the people of Southend on the lowest wages because that almost makes it look like they are less skilled.

“I think it’s because Southend has a lower income of any town due to there being less jobs and less people are in work or having to go to other towns such as Chelmsford or London to work.”