Industry profile
We understand that, to succeed, you need to attract people with the right skills. You'll find that Essex has a large, skilled and highly motivated workforce with experience in a wide range of sectors. The county also has an excellent educational and training infrastructure to make sure that these skills are developed now and for the future.
A large skilled workforce
- The population of Essex is 1.6 million
- The current labour force stands at around 700,000
- Some 112,000 people commute to London
- This pool of highly skilled people would be a suitable source of employees for any company looking to move to Essex
Diverse skills base
- Over 25% of people are employed in the retail, distribution and catering sector
- Nearly 22% work in public administration, health and education
- Some 16% are employed in manufacturing
- 14% work in the business services sector
- The remainder of the workforce are employed in the construction, banking and other services sectors
Favourable working conditions
- Staffing costs in the UK are highly competitive because of the modest level of compulsory social costs on wages
- Labour market regulations, including working hours, are the most flexible in Europe
Support for entrepreneurs
- Essex has always been famous for its micro, high-growth enterprises
- A support network has developed to ensure that our entrepreneurs are valued and given support to help their businesses grow
