How many businesses and workplaces Hastings has, what jobs pay, and how
many people are claiming benefits because they are unemployed, from the Office for
National Statistics. Each figure gives its date; they come out on different timetables.
In March 2026, 2,930 businesses based in Hastings were registered for VAT or PAYE, with 3,490 workplaces in the town. A chain's shop in Hastings counts as a workplace here; the business counts where its head office is.
By number of employees, March 2026
Size
Businesses
Workplaces
Micro (0 to 9 employees)
2,605
2,900
Small (10 to 49)
285
495
Medium-sized (50 to 249)
35
85
Large (250 or more)
5
10
All
2,930
3,490
By industry, March 2026
Industry
Businesses
Workplaces
Agriculture, forestry & fishing
25
25
Mining, quarrying & utilities
10
10
Manufacturing
155
165
Construction
505
515
Motor trades
80
100
Wholesale
85
115
Retail
280
385
Transport & storage (inc postal)
70
85
Accommodation & food services
305
355
Information & communication
230
240
Financial & insurance
35
55
Property
100
130
Professional, scientific & technical
400
420
Business administration & support services
200
240
Public administration & defence
0
20
Education
50
75
Health
155
280
Arts, entertainment, recreation & other services
240
275
Each year
As at
Businesses
Workplaces
March 2026
2,930
3,490
March 2025
2,890
3,440
March 2024
2,900
3,445
March 2023
2,920
3,490
March 2022
2,870
3,440
ONS rounds every count to the nearest 5, so the rows may not add up to the
total. Businesses too small to register for VAT or PAYE (many sole traders) aren't counted.
Industries are ONS's broad groups, in its order. Source: UK Business Counts, Office for
National Statistics, via Nomis (Open Government
Licence v3.0), read 2026-10-12.
Pay
In April 2025, the median full-time employee living in Hastings earned £698.10 a week before tax (England: £769.50). The median full-time job based in Hastings paid £670.10 (England: £770.70).
Median gross pay, full-time employees, each April
Year
Weekly, living here
Weekly, working here
Weekly, England
Yearly, living here
Yearly, working here
2025
£698.10
£670.10
£769.50
£34,714
£34,700
2024
£667.80
£670.80
£732.50
£33,238
£33,484
2023
£659.90
£566.20
£689.90
£31,454
£26,175
2022
£532.20
£502.00
£648.20
£28,745
£26,006
2021
£543.10
£498.30
£613.30
£26,656
£25,046
The median is the middle: half of full-time employees earned more, half
less. "Living here" counts Hastings residents wherever they work; "working here" counts
jobs in Hastings whoever does them. The figures are estimates from a 1% sample of
employee jobs; ONS gives each a coefficient of variation, for 2025
6.6% (living here) and 7.2% (working here) on weekly pay. The
latest year is provisional and revised a year later. Yearly pay counts only people in the
same job all year. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National
Statistics, via Nomis (Open Government Licence
v3.0), read 2026-10-12.
People on the claimant count
In September 2026, 2,785 people in Hastings were on the claimant count, 5.0% of residents aged 16 to 64 (England: 4.1%). In September 2025 it was 2,580 (4.6%).
The claimant count counts "people claiming benefits principally for the
reason of being unemployed", in Nomis's words: Jobseeker's Allowance, and Universal Credit
for people required to seek work. It isn't the unemployment rate, which comes from a
survey. These figures aren't seasonally adjusted. Ward counts are rounded to 5, so they
may not add up to the borough's. Wards are listed
alphabetically. Nomis gives ward figures on the current boundaries from January 2026, so there is no year-on-year comparison by ward yet. Source: Claimant count, Office for National Statistics and the Department for Work and Pensions, via Nomis (Open Government Licence v3.0); latest month September 2026, collected 2026-10-26.