Jobs in Manchester

As the nucleus of the largest metropolitan area in the north of England, Manchester boasts of an extraordinary vitality that helped ensure its position as among the first of the new generation industrial cities. From an 18th century market town to the ‘Capital of the North’, Manchester has come a long way in establishing itself as the center of arts, media, education and commerce.

Economically, it is not only the fastest growing city in the UK, but is also considered to be one of the best places to start a business in. Indeed, when you consider the city’s economy coupled with its thriving cultural scene and contemporary urban design driven by the likes of Urban Splash, Manchester has few rivals with the likes of London arguably struggling to compete. So where did it all begin?

Then and now
Manchester has the distinction of being the world’s first industrialized city, and played a significant role in the Industrial Revolution.

Indeed, the city began to flourish with the establishment of the textile industries during the 19th century. The development of the urban and metropolitan city was the result of the growth of a number of cotton industries in the neighboring areas.

Gradually, a large variety of manufacturing industries set up their bases in and around the city. A greater industrial diversity and a secure and expanding manufacturing base were thus created. The 20th century has seen a marked change in the shift of the nature of economy from an industrial to a postindustrial one. And today, professions like banking and finance, administration, and general personal services are growing at a remarkable rate.

The area of Greater Manchester has undergone huge economic changes over the years. The textile industry, which was once the biggest manufacturing industry of the region- earning the city the epithet ‘Cottonopolis’ as the world’s largest cotton centre - has been on a decline despite diversification.

Engineering industries too have reduced significantly. In contrast, the chemical and the paper and printing industries have remained somewhat stable. And it is largely due to this that Manchester has retained its status as the second center of newspaper production in England, after Greater London, with Mirror Group Newspapers and Guardian Media each having a significant presence in the city.

Manchester is now one of the largest financial centres in Europe and home to the world’s largest consumer-owned business - the Co-operative Group – which has its headquarters in the city, besides housing a branch of the Northern Stock Exchange and the Bank of England. Other key players based in Manchester include London Scottish Bank Plc, Whiteaway Laidlaw Bank Ltd, FMUK Holding Ltd, and General Guarantee Finance Ltd. Combined, the banking and finance sector employs around 15,000 people in the city in over 60 institutions.

Despite the decline of much of Britain’s once booming canal network, the Manchester Ship Canal continues to play a significant role in supporting the huge chemicals and oil-refining industries located in the Trafford area of the city.

Manchester is not only the gateway to the north of England, but is also the economic center of the North West. With a GVA (gross value added) of over £42 billion, it is the largest contributor outside London and the South East, generating more than both Wales and the North east combined. And outside of London, Manchester has the largest office market in the United Kingdom.

Manchester has flourishing automotive, chemicals, petrochemicals, and healthcare industries, and building and construction trades: Abbey Asphalt, Acorn Timber & Joinery Limited, Air Products Chemicals Europe, Albion Chemicals Distribution, British Oxygen Company (BOC) Industrial Trade Outlet, Walsh's Engineering Limited, and A1 Engines are some of the notable companies that currently operate out of Manchester.

But the city’s economy is now largely based on the services industry, and it has an inward investment second only to that of the capital city of London. Financial and professional services, creative, cultural and media, life science industries, manufacturing and communications are some of the major service-based industries currently operating out of Manchester.

Indeed, professional services including management consultancy, legal, accounting, and other employ around 45,000 of the city’s workforce. And the city’s creative and media sector – thanks in part to the new MediaCity in Salford Quays – provides employment for almost 19,000 people.

Being home to four key educational establishments and over 80,000 students – making the city the largest student campus in Europe – Manchester’s education sector is one of the biggest sources of employment. The Institute of Science and Technology, the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and Salford University along with the city’s colleges of further education, employ over 33,000 people.
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The tourist industry is also thriving, aided by the positive image gained from the hosting of the Commonwealth Games and, according to Manchester City Council; the city attracts some 17 million visitors every year and is responsible for over 40,000 jobs.

Key business districts
Manchester is widely considered to be one of the UK's fastest growing industrial locations. The industrial estate at Trafford Park is home to more than 1,300 companies and is one of Europe's fastest growing business locations.

The £1.5 billion mixed-use Spinningfields has been developed to hold office space, retail, law courts and the Civil Justice Centre. And the city centre itself boasts of a number of high-end stores like Marks and Spencer, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, to name a few.

The city centre serves as the central business district of not only Manchester, but also Greater Manchester. Rapid retail and commercial development has taken place, and there has also been a significant residential development in this district. The area has undergone extensive redevelopment since the 1996 IRA bombing, and is now the throbbing business heart of the city.

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

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

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