Look at of East England

The east of England has one of the fastest-growing economies in the UK, with a significant concentration of internationally important businesses engaged in research and development. It houses more than 30 of the world’s leading research centres. It has the highest proportion of gross value added spent on research and development of all the UK’s regions, with 10,000 people working directly in biotechnology businesses alone. The region contributes more than 10 per cent of the UK’s GDP from around 8 per cent of the total UK land area.

An £83 billion economy, the east of England is home to 390,000 businesses, including 14,000 manufacturing firms. Small firms employing fewer than 50 people account for 99 per cent of the business population. London and its two adjoining regions provide more than 40 per cent of the UK’s gross added value and much of its competitive advantage in a global economy. Economic output per head has been higher than the UK average but has now decreased.

Of its 5.5 million people, in a population growing at double the UK’s average rate, 83 per cent are economically active, higher than the national average of 78 per cent. An advanced network of roads and railways provides access to the UK heartland and main markets of Europe, while eight international airports and seven major seaports handle 56 per cent of the UK’s container traffic.

The economy is diverse, with no single predominant industry. It includes a strong service sector and one of the largest concentrations of new and growing businesses in the country. The largest concentrations of manufacturing employment in the region are in Luton, Dunstable, Basildon and Southend-on-Sea. Felixstowe and Tilbury are the dominant ports, while Luton and Stansted airports have both achieved strong growth and continue to expand.

Agriculture, fishing, transport and communications are relatively major employment sectors, while a greater proportion of the workforce is employed in managerial and clerical occupations than the average. The three fastest-growing occupational areas in the region are sales, professional occupations and associate professional occupations. Public-sector employment is 11 per cent of the whole.

The area’s attractive environment includes unspoilt countryside and coastline, picturesque villages and market towns, and distinctive historic cities. Natural attractions include 568 Sites of Special Scientific Interest and 46 National Nature Reserves, as well as community forests. More than a third of the residents live in settlements of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. School performance is better than the national average, although 400,000 adults (half of them in employment) have a numeracy standard lower than that expected of an 11 year old.

The region covers an area of 19,110 square kilometres, 8 per cent of the UK total; with a population density of 286 people per square kilometre. Health in the east of England is better than the average for England and Wales, and serious crime rates are lower. However, despite the region having a lower average level of deprivation than others, 17 per cent of its population live in poverty.

Opportunities and skills shortages

There is a wide range of vacancies across the region. Many opportunities are found in and around Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and Felixstowe. Qualified and experienced Service leavers will continue to find work, although it may not be in their chosen field and in many cases they can expect to travel. Shortages continue in all construction and building services, all engineering trades, transport (with some employers offering LGV training), and healthcare clerical and administrative work, with some retail opportunities coming on-stream.

There are no massive staff shortages. The building and transport sectors are very healthy, with opportunities for LGV (C+E) drivers, chefs, mechanical/electrical engineers and technicians. Managerial positions may involve commuting to London or Cambridge, but the infrastructure exists to support this.

Employers

The Haven Gatewayhandles over 40 per cent of the UK’s container traffic and a large proportion of east coast freight and passenger ferry traffic. Port development is opening up fresh vacancies. The Road Transport Directive regulating LGV drivers’ hours will also require companies to hire more drivers. Sectors in comparative decline include insurance, financial services, aerospace and defence engineering.

Salaries

A rough guide to salaries in the region is given below. This is inevitably very general and there will be variations between industries and also in various parts of the east of England.

Manual £10,000 to £17,000

Semi-skilled £13,000 to £19,000

Skilled and supervisory £15,000 to £25,000

Managerial £18,000 to £30,000

Executive £25,000 to £60,000 and upwards

House price guide

The following prices are a rough guide only to property prices and are liable to overnight change as financial factors in the country as well as in the region affect housing.