Jobs in Durham | Pictures of Durham

Durham’s appeal as city has been marketed on its rich cultural history, dominated by its dramatic cathedral that is now a World Heritage Site and the fledgling university that is oft referred to as ‘the one you go to if Oxford and Cambridge turn you down’. But the new Durham 2020 Vision has brought some modernity into the city and is set to see it become more than a pretty antique that admired on the shelf, but somewhere that is admired for its forward-thinking, advanced and thriving economy.

And with over 120 companies from 21 different countries now firmly rooted in the city and contributing to Durham’s enviable position as having one of the highest productivity levels in Britain with exports a greater percentage of its output than any other UK region. It seems that the 2020 Vision is already coming to fruition as Durham continues to make significant strides to raise its appeal as an ideal place to invest, work and succeed.

Then and now
Durham passed through history relatively unremarkably, save for being heralded as a religious shrine for pilgrims travelling there to celebrate the life of Saint Cuthbert and Saint Bede. In the 1700s plans for a port to be built at the Sands or Millburngate were dismissed and by the time they were resurrected a century later, the momentum had been lost and with the already well-established harbourside up the road in Newcastle there was no demand for a second major port in the same region.

Failure to capitalise on its coastal position saw Durham left on the shelf when the Industrial Revolution came to the region and the town was left to consolidate its position as a leading weaving and carpet-making centre. But as the nineteenth century progressed, the discovery of vast coalfields re-positioned Durham’s economy and the town soon complemented the booming North East coal industry.

Since then, Durham developed as a key manufacturing centre and this sector continues to be the dominant source of employment in the area today. Despite a continual decline over the last ten years – in line with the national trend – the manufacturing sector employs a high proportion the Durham’s workforce, 29 per cent in fact. Among the biggest employers in this sector are Cummins and Nissan.

However, one of the fastest growing sectors is construction. With a number of construction projects taking place throughout the area, including new business parks and residential developments, the construction sector has seen thousands of new jobs created since the turn of the decade to the extent that it now represents almost 10 per of the workforce – more than double what it was in 1998.

But these developments are not just about making Durham a more attractive place to live and work, it is also about attracting more visitors to spend their money in the town’s shops, restaurants, hotels and attractions. Indeed, Durham Cathedral has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986 and is arguably the main draw for visitors to the city and it is estimated that tourism on the whole, generates around £165m for the local economy every year with 13 per cent of all jobs in Durham found in the tourism, retail and wider distribution sector.

The main protagonist behind this drive for redevelopment and repositioning of the city is Durham 2020, an amalgamation of a number of organisations including English Heritage, Durham Chamber of Commerce and University of Durham. Their objective is to maximise Durham’s economic and social potential by investing in a number of projects that will enhance the city’s appeal as a leading tourist and shopping destination along with improvements in Durham’s business premises which, it is hoped, will attract more companies to invest in the area. And having the clout of someone like the University of Durham behind them, half the battle is won.

Indeed, the University has an enviable reputation as one of the leading centres for academic research in the UK and is the third biggest employer in Durham with more than 3,500 members of staff; thereby making it the leading education employer in the area. As such it is one of the key components in Durham’s largest employment sector – the public sector.

In March 2008, the newly created Durham Unitary Authority replaced the old County Council and incorporated seven other local councils, thereby making it the single biggest employer in the region. Responsible for a population of over 500,000 in the wider region, the new Authority is the administrative centre for the whole of the County and employs over 22,000 people in the field of public administration. Whereas County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust is the leading employer in the health sector with around 5,000 staff.

With all this investment taking place in the city you might assume that there is a significant financial sector supporting these initiatives, but there isn’t. Durham has one of the lowest levels of people employed in the banking, insurance, financial and business services in the country with just over 11 per cent of the workforce making their living in this sector- lower than the national average.

Key business districts
At 540-acres, Durham Green Business Park is the largest new business park in the North East near junction 61 of the A1 at Bowburn, south of Durham. Elsewhere, Pectrum Business Park, located on the former Dawdon Colliery site, is proving a popular choice with a number of local and national organisations and has the potential to create 3,500 jobs once it is completed. Whilst Foxcover Enterprise Park is also going from strength to strength.

If you're thinking of moving to the area, take a look at some of the current property available to buy or let in Durham.

Take a closer look
A picture is worth a thousand words. You can see some images from in and around Durham below.

Looking for local vacancies? See all current jobs in Durham or find out more information on the local area.