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The South West area of London is one of the most diverse parts of the capital encompassing Westminster , Kensington and Chelsea , Lambeth, Hammersmith and Fulham, Richmond upon Thames, Wandsworth, and Merton.

With over 1.3 million workers employed in around 95,000 businesses, the SW district boasts the most fashionable and exclusive post code in London , some of the world's most famous tourist attractions and a borough that has one of the highest concentrations of international firms headquartered than anywhere else.

Then and now
The concentration of industry in the major conurbations such as London and Birmingham made these cities extremely vulnerable during the Second World War. And in the immediate post-war aftermath, the Government embarked on a significant regeneration programme that would relocate many of these industries to other areas of the country, such as the so-called ‘new towns' of Luton and Milton Keynes. This served to stimulate these new economies while easing the capital's housing congestion at the same time. Today, the South Western and Battersea (to be referred to as ‘SW' henceforth) local economy is dominated by the service sector.

Despite the regional and national decline of the sector, manufacturing continues to be a significant employer in SW, albeit at a lesser extent than previously. Indeed, some 42,000 people continue to ply their trade in manufacturing which – when compared to every other city in the UK – seems like a high number but, by London standards it only represent 3.2 per of the total number of jobs in SW.

With a workforce totalling 1.3 million people, the service sector employs more workers than any other accounting for 1.1 million. And at the forefront of this sector is the finance industry.

Despite the ‘credit crunch', this continues to be the leading sector in SW both in terms of employment and contribution to the local economies of the twenty SW post code areas. Indeed, it is estimated that around 28 per cent (362,000) of the region's workforce are employed within the fields of financial and professional services, banking and insurance making SW one of the leading financial districts in London .

With a number of London 's retail and tourist attractions found in the SW area, it follows that a significant number of jobs can be found in the retail and tourism sectors.

The retail and tourism (which incorporates the distribution, hotel and restaurant industries) sectors employ over 281,000 (22 per cent of the workforce) and 51,000 people respectively in an area which boasts the likes of Harrods, Buckingham Palace , and the effervescent Kensington High Street.

In fact, the service industry is the major contributor to Kensington and Chelsea's local economy, with the retail and tourist sector accounting for 37 per cent of employment, thereby generating more GDP than any other sector here. While further jobs have recently been created following the opening of the new Westfield London shopping centre at White City .

Of equal importance to the wider SW economy, in employment terms, is the public sector.

With a number of administrative centres and Metropolitan Borough Councils, each responsible for their own governance it is hardly surprising that a significant number of people are employed within the fields of public administration, health and education. Indeed, this sector is responsible for more than 1 in 5 jobs (21 per cent) or 264,000 people. And within this sector is one of the biggest employers, the civil service based in Westminster and Whitehall .

Between them, Westminster and Whitehall have been the centre of political power in the country since time and memorial. At the height of British supremacy, Whitehall became the ‘heart of the Empire', its ministries ruling over a quarter of the world's population. Yet despite the collapse of the British Empire and the lessening of the UK 's political role on the world stage, the government bodies that run the country today continue to occupy the same geographical area.

Between the top of Whitehall at Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square at the bottom, are the Admiralty, DeFRA, Department's of Health and War & Pensions along with a number of other ministerial departments including, of course, 10 Downing Street.

Key business districts
With over 95,000 businesses registered in the SW area of London employing a workforce of 1.3 million people, it goes without saying that there are a number of major central business districts throughout the region. However, there are certain Borough's that are particularly noted for their significant concentration within certain sectors.

For instance, Kensington is predominantly focused on retail and is home to arguably the most significant shopping district in SW London . While Westminster and Whitehall are equally dominated by government offices and tourism. Wandsworth is a town of extremes containing some light industry and warehouse sites such as Garratt Business Park yet it had the third most million-pound property sales in London .

Elsewhere, New Covent Garden Market was built over 30 years ago at Nine Elms and is home to some 240 businesses employing about 2,500 people on a site of about 23 hectares.  Businesses' turnover ranges from £250,000 to £20 million. About a quarter are small businesses with turnovers in the region of £250,000. And the Stewarts Road area consists primarily of industrial and commercial units with little open space or housing.  It is home to approximately 145 businesses employing 1,300 people.

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

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

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