Relocating to the East of England - Guide to Working and Living in East of England
Jobs in the east of England
The East of England comprises of 6 counties, Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. The region covers 7,380 square miles, stretching approximately 109 miles for north to south and 108 miles for east to west. The East of England is one of the larger regions in terms of area and population and is expected to have a higher population growth than most other regions over the next 20 years. The area is also one of the largest in terms of its share of jobs and has a high level of labour productivity. East Anglia is a diverse region, offering a good quality of life and is home to Britain’s oldest recorded town, Colchester, and a unique blend of historic towns, modern cities and picturesque countryside.
East Anglia offers 80% rural land with wide open spaces and a rich agricultural heritage, however over the past decade the East of England has become one of the fastest growing regions in terms of its population and economy. The south of East Anglia is densely populated with good road like and rail links to the capital. Other significant urban areas are Ipswich, Colchester, Norwich, Cambridge and Peterborough.
The East of England has one of the fastest growing economies in the country and the region has high levels of employment in relation to the rest of the UK. Over the past 10 years the region has experienced a rate of employment growth above the national average, and behind that only of the South East and London regions.
The East of England is not a single coherent labour market, but a range of overlapping and interactive local markets.
The economy in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk is traditionally mostly agricultural. The food and drink industry accounts for over 3% of the East of England economy with more than 90,000 people directly employed in this sector. Nationally known companies include Greene King, Branston Pickle and Silver Spoon.
Suffolk has a diverse economy with 74% of jobs in service industries, 18% in manufacturing and 3% in Agriculture. The service sector, particularly in legal, financial and business services, has grown rapidly over the last two decades.
In Essex, Colchester’s strongest sectors include financial services, paper and print publishing, retail, leisure and business services, teleworking and electronics. Chelmsford and Brentwood’s labour markets are also predominantly in the broad service sector.
In Norfolk where the economy is dominated by small and medium sized businesses and manufacturing and public administration are significant employers. Norwich, with 26 national and regional headquarters, continues in its tradition of being home to large financial services companies and is increasingly developing its creative and business service industries.
The Financial and Business Services sector is increasing in East Anglia and Ipswich has now become a leading business and financial services centre. With major Insurance giants such as Axa Insurance and Willis having offices based in the town centre the sector currently provides employment for 21% of the workforce in the town.
The Telecommunications, Electronics and Pharmaceuticals sectors also play an integral part in the regions economy. A dynamic cluster of knowledge based and technology intensive industries have developed in the south west of the region, mostly based around Cambridge and extending along the A14. Ipswich has become the focus for an emerging technology, media and telecommunication business cluster known as ‘IP City Centre’. BT based at Adastral Park near Ipswich has also become recognised as one of the leading centre of technical innovation in the communication world.
Time Appointments are a recruitment agency in Suffolk click here to search for jobs in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Colchester, Stowmarket, Chelmsford or London