Jobs in Slough | Pictures of Slough

Over the last twenty years, Slough has seen a major shift from a manufacturing to an information-based economy which has seen the closing down of the many factories that were fundamental to the town’s economic success and rapidly being replaced by office buildings to accommodate the increasing number of service sector industries who are drawn to the area.

With over 60 companies employing more than 100 employees, Slough has twice as many large companies than anywhere else in the UK and its economy – with around 80,000 employees - accounts for almost 16 per cent of Berkshire’s overall employment and over £2.5bn for the regional economy.

Then and now
Before the 1800s, the main businesses of Slough were brickfields and agriculture. Indeed, the bricks used to build Eton College were made in Slough, whilst the rest of the land was dedicated to nurseries and apple orchards such as Cox's Orange Pippin and the Mrs Sinkins Pink variety. But the completion of the Slough branch on the new Great Western Railway marked the beginning of the end for these two staple industries and by the early 1900s, little was left of their existence.

The land soon became used for a variety of industrial and manufacturing functions, including a spell as the Army’s motor depot that repaired a significant number of military vehicles that had been damaged on the Western Front. And two years after the end of the First World War, the famous Slough Trading Estate was developed as UK's first such estate and making it an important industrial centre for the South East.

Slough is a town made by 20th century in-comers. A hundred years ago it was little more than a village. Then in the Twenties the Trading Estate became a magnet for workers from all corners of the globe, one of the few places where employment grew during the depression.

Indeed, the Welsh, Irish, Polish and Asian communities dominated the ethnic make-up of Slough in its early days to the extent that in the next 30 years Asians in Slough will outnumber their white neighbours.

Hundreds of UK and international companies have set up operations at Slough Trading Estate over the years, from manufacturing to leading distribution organisations such as Amazon.co.uk – lured by its close proximity to London Heathrow Airport and good motorway connections. Indeed, the distribution sector is one of the two biggest employment areas in Slough, with the likes of Business Post Group, Ryder Plc and international freight forwarders Kuehne & Nagel based here.

Whereas the finance sector – the second biggest employer in Slough – boasts a number of leading financial and business services organisations, including Associates Financial Corp Ltd which has more than 1,000 employees. Combined, more people in Slough are employed in the distribution and financial sectors than in any other.

And when you add the health and education sectors to the mix, these four sectors account for over 60 per cent of employment in the Borough. Indeed, East Berkshire Health Authority and the education authority are the third and fourth largest employers in Slough respectively.

However, in terms of output, the manufacturing industry leads the pack. With the local economy worth over £2.5 bn, manufacturing contributes around 28 per cent (£700m) to this, supporting over 9,000 jobs in a number of organisations including Horlicks, Masterfoods (originally called Mars), Black and Decker and Satchwell Control Systems.

Having established a prominent motor repair industry at the turn of the twentieth century, a strong automotive sector soon followed and despite the relocation of Ford’s Transit plant, Ferrari, Mercedes, Fiat and Maserati continue to have a significant presence in the area.

Since the 1990s Slough has become a leading hub for the rapidly developing creative industries that have seen the town play a significant role in the fast-developing ‘silicon strip- that runs along the M4 corridor. Indeed, a number of leading IT organisations have either set up shop or based their headquarters in Slough, including Network Associates, Computer Associates, PictureTel and Compusys. Whilst O2 is headquartered in the town across four buildings.

Slough has seen major redevelopment in the town centre. Old buildings are being replaced with brand new offices and shopping complexes. The Heart of Slough Project is a highly ambitious, multi-million pound plan for the redevelopment of Slough's Town Centre. The aim is to create a leading European and national focus, and cultural quarter for creative media, information and communications industries

Key business districts
The Slough Trading Estate was the UK’s first business park and continues to be the largest industrial estate in single private ownership in Europe. With over 600 buildings, the Estate is home to over 400 organisations including a significant number of overseas companies who have located their UK headquarters here. Centrica plc, Yell, Electrolux, GlaxoSmithKline, Mars Confectionery, ICI Paints, and Sara Lee are just a few of them.

Langley Business Park and Langley Business Centre, are two other thriving business estates in Slough, with other companies, industries and enterprises found throughout the borough.

Now, the aim is to create a leading European and national focus, and cultural quarter for creative media, information and communications industries. It will create a mixed-use complex, multi-functional buildings, visual landmarks and a public space in the Thames Valley.

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

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

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