Men from one part of Edinburgh among UK's top earners on £1,000 a week - and they also work the shortest hours

The Office for National Statistics has released figures on average full-time annual salaries, excluding the self-employed.

Wages for men in Edinburgh South have reached above £1,000 a week, making the constituency one of the highest-earning in the UK, behind only the City of London and London Docklands.

But the figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also reveal that men in the area work the shortest hours in the UK, an average of only 36.3 hours a week.

The constituency also has one of the widest gender pay gaps in Scotland, with the average weekly wage for women £640.9, 39% lower than that for men.

Wages for men in Edinburgh South have reached above 1,000 a week, making the constituency on of the highest-earning in the UK, behind only the City of London and London Docklands.

In Scotland on average women receive a weekly salary 14% lower than men.

Men in Edinburgh North and Leith are the second-highest paid in Scotland at £818.9 a week, while women receive £659.7.

Edinburgh South West also makes it into the top ten with men being paid an average of £775.6 per week.

However Edinburgh South West has one of the lowest gender pay gaps in the country with women being paid an average of 11% less than men.

The average full-time annual salary for a male worker in Edinburgh South is £54,709, the ONS survey reveals.

The figures are based on tax records and apply to full-time workers, excluding the self-employed.

Edinburgh South contains the wealthy areas of Morningside, Marchmont and Newington, where properties often cost upwards of £2 million.

But it is also home to some less wealthy areas, including Liberton and Moredun.

Widening Disparities

Dr Tanya Wilson, an economics lecturer at Glasgow University, told the Mail on Sunday: “These are remarkable figures. This data suggests there are widening disparities cutting through society in many different ways.

“We’re seeing growing gaps not just between men and women, town and country, not just between industries, but gaps that are systemic within small areas – even in the same city.

“What’s striking with Edinburgh South is the wealthiest are earning more for a shorter week while the hours of those on lower wages are getting longer.”

However, Labour MP and candidate for the Edinburgh South constituency, Ian Murray, also pointed out: “Edinburgh is an economic success story but in some parts of my constituency nearly a third of children live in poverty.”

The fourth-highest earners in Edinburgh and the Lothians are men in Edinburgh East, with an average weekly salary of £708, followed by women in Edinburgh South West with £688.6.

The lowest earners are women in the constituency of Midlothian, with a weekly salary of £554.5, below the Scottish average for women of £585.

They are closely followed by women in Livingston, who earn an average of £557.1 a week, and women in Linlithgow & East Falkirk, who earn £566.3.