Jobs in St Albans | Pictures of St Albans

Located a mere 25 minute train journey from the capital, St Albans is considered to be the most expensive place to live in the UK outside Central London on account of the fact that around 1 in 5 residents commute to London to work every day. But for the other 4 out of 5 who work closer to home, St Albans ' local economy has changed dramatically over the last twenty years.

The recession of the 1990s saw the demise of the city's manufacturing industries which had long been the mainstay of the local economy with a number of large-scale organisations closing their doors including Marconi, Murphy and Brook Bond. Consequently, St Alban's was compelled to seek out new economic drivers and today, the city is a service-led economy.

Then and now
St Alban's had long been a market town and a pilgrimage site that sustained its economy throughout the Medieval Ages. And during the 1600s to1800s, it was a significant overnight coaching stop for travellers making the journey from to and from London - a factor that accounts for the city's plethora of pubs that still exist today.

However, the post-war Government's redistribution of population and industry away from being London-centric, saw St Albans ' population steadily increase and industries that had hitherto been relatively small scale were encouraged to develop and expand. But that has all changed and today, the manufacturing industries that boomed in the post war era have all but disappeared and account for little more than 4 per cent of the local workforce.

Indeed, St Alban's has become a post-industrial service economy led by three key sectors: banking and finance, public services, and retail.

Out of a total workforce of 59,000 people, the banking and finance sector is responsible for more employment opportunities than any other and includes organisations specialising in insurance and management consultancy. Employing around 28 per cent of the workforce (16,900 people), this is most important sector in St Alban's both in terms of employment and GDP, with the likes of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, KPMG and Hewitt Bacon & Woodrow being the biggest employers in this sector within the area.

This is closely followed by the public sector. Being the administrative centre for the city of St Albans and the nearby town of Harpenden with a combined population exceeding 114,000, it is hardly surprising that a significant number of people are employed within the fields of public administration, health and education.

Indeed, around 15,700 (26 per cent) people work within the public sector for the likes of St Albans District Council, Hertfordshire Borough Council, Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust, Spire Hospital and the University of Hertfordshire .

Equally important is the retail sector, which includes distribution, hotels, restaurants and tourism. St Albans is a thriving cultural centre with a rich heritage, attractiveness and an extensive number of pubs and restaurants that make it a highly popular place to live and visit.

And being regarded as the most expensive place to live in Britain outside London , it is safe to say that there is a lot of money ready to be spent in the town. Overall, the retail sector is the third most important employer in St Albans with more that 16,900 (25 per cent) of people making their living in this sector, with the likes of Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and NFT Distribution being the biggest employers.

Aside from these key sectors, there are a number of other industries that are major contributors to the local economy despite having relatively smaller workforces, such as electronics, IT, digital communications, aerospace, computer software, film and media. In fact, St Albans has been the location for a number of film and TV productions, including Porridge, First Knight, Johnny English and Incendiary .

It should be noted that St Albans has a highly skilled workforce. When compared to the rest of Hertfordshire and the UK , more people in the city work in professional and managerial jobs than anywhere else – 62.8 per cent compared to 42.3 per cent nationally.

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

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

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