Birmingham in top ten UK cities for employment growth
Birmingham has maintained its position as one of the top ten cities in the UK for employment growth in the final months of last year, according to a new report.
The UK Powerhouse report, produced by solicitors Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics and Business Research, estimates Gross Value Added growth and job creation within the UK’s largest cities ahead of official government figures.
The report reveals that the number of people in work in Birmingham grew annually by 0.7% in the last quarter of 2017 to reach 553,800, putting city within the top ten UK cities according to employment growth. Coventry was ranked 11th in terms of employment, and Wolverhampton 13th.
The region’s performance has been boosted by the high share of manufacturing jobs, according to the report. In 2016, manufacturing made up 11% of employment in Birmingham, compared to an average of 8.8% for other UK cities.
However, Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton’s GVA and employment growth is expected to fall in Q4 2018, with the trend expected to continue up to Q4 2028, according to the report.
Chris Rawstron, partner in Irwin Mitchell’s Business Legal Services division in Birmingham, said: “Our report highlights that the faster rates of economic growth continue to be concentrated in locations in the south and around the so-called ‘Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Arc’.
“All businesses need to operate in an economic environment that allows them to flourish and we firmly believe the government can do more for the Midlands Engine.”
