In 2005 unemployment in North Devon was 1.8–2.4 per cent, and the median per capita wage for North Devon was 73 per cent of the UK national average. The level of work in the informal or casual sector is high, partly due to seasonal tourism, as is the case in much of the South West of England. By 2018 unemployment in North Devon had fallen significantly from a 2010 high to 1.2 per cent, while median weekly full-time pay stood at £440 per week and average housing prices at £230,000. The number of businesses registered has increased by 370 since 2010 to 4,895. The year 2018 also saw marked government investment in the area through Coastal Community grants and Housing Infrastructure funds £83 million to upgrade the North Devon Link Road.