Birmingham second city outside London with the most job opportunities

Birmingham has been revealed as the second city in the UK with the most job opportunities outside London.

Figures from recruitment specialist Michael Page shows the UK’s top job hotspots outside the capital, with opportunities soaring in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and beyond.

While London retains the top spot, in the first six months of this year, Birmingham takes a close second to Manchester as the UK’s top regional job hotspot – as the city’s job opportunities have risen by 27% compared to 2021.

Driving the job market in Birmingham is a thriving finance tech sector, with the city earning the silver medal when it comes to opportunities in finance outside of London, pipped to gold by Manchester.

When looking at job opportunities created outside London in the first six months of this year, the UK’s top eight hotspots, in order of total jobs advertised, are:

1.Manchester: job opportunities up 18% on H1 2021
1.Birmingham: job opportunities up 27% on H1 2021
1.Leeds: job opportunities up 24% on H1 2021
2.Bristol: job opportunities up 24% on H1 2021
3.Glasgow:  job opportunities up 40% on H1 2021
4.Edinburgh: job opportunities up 40% on H1 2021
5.Cambridge: job opportunities up 39% on H1 2021
6.Reading: job opportunities up 36% on H1 2021

Doug Rode, UK MD at Michael Page, said: “The UK’s job landscape is changing and there has been a notable increase in companies moving out of London due to cheaper rents and greater access to untapped talent pools, just look at the BBC and Channel 4 as key examples. The Government’s levelling up agenda has also seen many government departments partly relocate across the country, which has been a great driver of jobs to other cities, with many departments heading north to Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield.

“Big companies moving into new regions naturally creates more local jobs and therefore there is more competition for the best talent. Now, that people are starting to realise that they won’t compromise their careers by working outside of London, employers are also starting to view regional offices and hires as a long-term investment.”

Rode added: “Booms in growing industries, such as tech, are creating thousands of jobs in cities across the country. The rise of hybrid and remote working has levelled the playing field and unlocked huge talent pools nationwide, which is great news for employers and workers alike. People no longer need to feel the pressure of having to move to London to get the job they want. The working world is changing. Candidates can afford to shop around for the best job, wherever that might be in the country.”