LOCATIONS TAXONOMY

The economy in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk is traditionally mostly agricultural. Other important business sectors include tourism, energy (oil, gas and renewables), advanced engineering and manufacturing, and food and farming.

Local Enterprise Partnership has been recently established by business leaders to help grow jobs across Norfolk and Suffolk. They have secured an enterprise zone to help grow businesses in the energy sector and established the two counties as being a centre for growing services and products for the green economy.

East Anglia has a number of urban areas where businesses are thriving in towns including Ipswich, Cambridge, Peterborough, Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket, Felixstowe, Norwich, Great Yarmouth, King’s Lynn and Thetford.

Southampton is the largest city located in Hampshire on the south coast of England. Southampton has a major port and has ferry links with the New Forest. It has other great travel links to the rest of the UK, being just over an hour away from Central London. Southampton is home to two Universities, the University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University.

The University of Southampton is regularly ranked as one of the top 100 universities in the world and is currently one of the top 14 research Universities. Southampton students consistently achieve high scores for its teaching and learning activities and is the largest University in the South East, with over 23,000 Undergraduate students. In a recent survey, statistics show that 90% of Southampton University graduates entered employment or further study 6 months after leaving University.

Southampton is currently planning a major city development, with a £160 million plan going forward for its city centre which will bring with it an increase in jobs, tourism and an increase in economic activity. Major national and international businesses will be attracted to the increasing business opportunities becoming available in Southampton.

Although Southampton are planning a wide development to increase economic activity, the amount of people in work is a lot higher here than in other areas in the UK.

Southampton’s port is the departure point for many cruise ships and ferries. This brings many tourists to the city and they had much to see with the famous heritage and history sites including the D-day museum and Titanic memorial. In 2016, Southampton had the 4^th greatest improvement in the country’s employment rates. In 2015, it was ranked 6^th in the PWC (Good growth for cities report) demonstrating that despite its unemployment rates, the city has still prospered.

Southampton is a tech hotspot too, in 2017, there were 22,737 digital jobs in Southampton according to TechNation.

Portsmouth is the second largest city in the county of Hampshire, located on the south coast of England. The city of Portsmouth has a population of approximately 209,166 and is the United Kingdom’s only island city. Portsmouth is located on England’s South Coast and has good transport links with London, which is approximately 90 minutes away.

The University of Portsmouth was rated world-class in the latest survey of research quality in UK universities and was ranked as number 48 in the Guardian University Guide in 2014. The University has around 22,000 students, with more than 4,000 students coming from overseas.

Statistics from a survey carried out in 2013 shows that of all University of Portsmouth graduates from the UK, 72% of these had found full time employment or were back in education 6 months after graduating. The University is slowly moving up these league tables and this is bringing more individuals to the area, helping to increase economic activity.

Portsmouth’s economy is slowly growing, with a current employment rate of 73% which is on par with the average for the UK for 2014. Portsmouth’s unemployment rate has dropped from 5.2% to 3.9% in the last year which shows the economic stability in Portsmouth and the attractive business climate.
This increase in economic activity has been helped by a recent regeneration strategy, shaping the Future of Portsmouth, which has helped invest £1 billion into the city.

Plymouth is a city situated on the south coast of Devon, with a population of approximately 250,000 people. It is the 27^th most populous built up area in England and Wales, and it homes the ninth largest University in the UK, The University of Plymouth. Plymouth has good transport links, with its rail line running to other major cities in the UK, including Bristol, Wales and Birmingham.

The current unemployment rate is high in Plymouth, with the amount of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance increasing by 285 to 4,600 in January 2014 compared to the previous month. Whilst there are signs of the economy improving, the unemployment levels in Plymouth are worrying with a current rate of 7.3%.

These unemployment levels are much higher than areas that are surrounding Plymouth, with Devon and Somerset both having levels of 6.5%. An analysis of the city’s labour market reveals a high degree of hidden unemployment, with many individuals seeking work but not claiming Job Seekers Allowance.

There has also been a large increase in those working part-time, with there not being enough full-time jobs to cope with the demand. There are few large employers in the Plymouth area, with 99.5% of businesses being small and medium sized enterprises hiring fewer than 250 people. This has meant individuals looking for work may need to look outside of Plymouth for more job opportunities as there aren’t enough in the city for the high proportion of individuals out of work.

The University of Plymouth is one of the largest Universities in the country, hosting approximately 30,000 students with a student mix of 89% undergraduate and 11% postgraduate. There are great opportunities within the University to take on placements and work-based learning through their Skills plus Policy, ensuring students are well-prepared for employment when they leave University. Studies have shown that 92% of graduates are in work or further study six months after they Graduate.

Brighton is well know for being a vibrant and exciting city with lots to offer visitors, businesses and residents working in the city. Brighton has a high volume of media businesses particularly new media and digital media since the 1990’s. The city’s own Economic Strategy ‘Raising Our Game’ suggests that in recent years local businesses have thrived and that it is now well placed to become the “capital of innovation”. The vibrant city centre boasts many unique shops, theatres, bars and restaurants.

If you are thinking about setting up a business in Brighton you couldn’t be better located for great links into London and international airports. Personal Career Management can support you in setting up your own business or franchise with our start your own business coaching programme.

Brighton has two universities including the University of Brighton. Graduate employment at the University of Brighton is one of the strongest in the UK with over 90% moving into employment after graduating. More than 5,000 students graduated this year in a range of subjects as diverse as: automotive engine design, law with accountancy, midwifery, three-dimensional design, architecture and pharmacy. If you have just graduated and are struggling to get the job that you want you may be interested in our graduate job search programme.

For more information on how Personal Career Management can help please call us on 01753 888995 or fill in our online contact form. We provide a free introductory meeting with a career consultant to discuss our services and find out how we can help you successfully manage your career.