April 20, 2016
The South West certainly seems to be having something of a ‘moment’, and nowhere is this more evident than in its thriving jobs market. Don’t believe me? Well according to new figures recently reported by the Plymouth Herald, the region has enjoyed a 3% annual rise in the number of people in full- or part-time work – that’s a bigger increase than both London and the South East.
The findings come from NatWest’s Regional Economic Tracker report, and reveal that in the 12 months leading up to September 2015, the number of employed South West residents increased by 3% to reach 2.7 million. What’s more, there has been an overall employment rise of 4.5% since 2008.
Coming second only to Yorkshire & the Humber, these figures demonstrate that the South West comes ahead of both London and the South East when it comes to annual jobs growth – showing that it pays to think outside of the ‘London bubble’ when considering your next career move.
It’s great to see that the South West jobs market is flourishing, and I was especially pleased to see that West Somerset is performing particularly well. In fact, West Somerset and North Devon were the two best performing areas for employment in the whole of the UK!
The number of people in employment in West Somerset grew by nearly a third (29%) to 17,200, while North Devon’s employment number rose by nearly a quarter (23%) to 51,500.
In demographical terms, the South West region also witnessed strong job growth within the 16-24 age group, which saw a 7% increase in employment numbers, and the over 65 age group, which had a 6% increase. So, more candidates from age 16 right through to 65 and beyond are finding work right here in the West Country.
If you’re looking for your ideal job in the South West area, or have been struggling to fill a position at your company, get in touch today to see how we at Lucy Bristow can help.
