Look at the East Midlands

The population of the East Midlands is approximately 4.2 million, of which 77.1 per cent of working-age people are in employment, compared to a UK average of 74.5 per cent. The region has performed well in terms of population, with levels growing by 9.2 per cent from 1981 to 2000, over 3 per cent above national trends.

The region’s working-age population is similar to the national average and is forecast to remain so up to 2021. However, the region is likely to experience a greater growth in the pensionable-age population than the national average. This implies a greater dependency problem than for the UK as a whole.

The region’s economic performance, as measured by GDP per head, improved by some 18 per cent over the latest three-year period for which comparable figures are available, compared with 8 per cent for the EU as a whole. It has the highest rate of GDP per head outside the greater south-east of England, but lags some way behind the EU average.

Employment and unemployment performance are declining relative to the rest of the EU, reflecting improving labour market conditions overseas. While the UK is still outperforming the rest of Europe on employment measures there are signs that the gap is narrowing. The East Midlands’ employment record is underpinned by high economic activity rates among the working-age population.

Only 3.5 per cent of the workforce works in high-technology services, and just 40 per cent in knowledge-intensive sectors (the UK average is 41 per cent). Increases in high-tech manufacturing and knowledge services compare favourably with the EU average but come from a relatively low base.

The region has one of the lowest levels of ICT use per employee in the country. The same is true of productivity, where the UK as a whole performs well below the EU average. There is mounting evidence of a low productivity, low pay, low skills equilibrium in the region. It needs to find substantial new sources of growth in order to become a top 20 European region.

An above average concentration of manufacturing means that the region is vulnerable to national trends towards service sector growth. Tight labour market conditions reinforce low productivity rates in the region. Below-average earnings also contribute to qualified individuals seeking higher-paid employment elsewhere, with more businesses experiencing skill shortages. In particular, efforts to encourage new technology-based industrial growth suffer from a lack of potential recruits, although creative and cultural industries account for 10 per cent of all employment, with 4.5 million visitors to major attractions every year.

The region needs to retain its graduate population, and improve its GCSE attainment levels. It has a below-average proportion of working-age individuals with degrees or postgraduate qualifications. Managers and administrators, and professional occupations are under-represented, contributing to skill deficits and hard-to-fill vacancies.

There are significant sub-regional variations, with unemployment worse towards the north of the region and in the major cities. Most relatively poorly qualified workers live in urban and semi-urban areas, while the region needs to attract new investment from overseas. While there is less deprivation than in some UK regions, there are pockets of disadvantage. In rural areas these can be masked by prosperous areas nearby.

Opportunities and skills shortages

LGV C and C+E drivers, and PCV drivers are in demand, with the major transport companies offering free training for licence upgrades. The rail industry is also a major employer. Significant skills shortages exist in construction and building services engineering (multi-skilled plumbers, bricklayers, CORGI and 16th Edition electrical engineers), electrical/mechanical engineers, diesel engineers, transport vehicle fitters and NVQ assessors.

The major Civil Service move from London to Derby (3,000 jobs) is still on track, with a major shopping centre and aerospace site also offering employment. Police recruiting has slowed down, although the region’s services continue to recruit. Fire service recruiting is virtually non-existent, however, and this will last until the service reduces to its new establishment. Potential applicants are encouraged to make enquiries with individual authorities one to two years before their discharge dates.

Employers

Significant regional employers include such household names as Boots, Astra Zeneca, Barclaycard, Egg, Alliance & Leicester, HSBC, Capital One, Experian, Siemens, Rolls-Royce Aero Engines, Toyota, Bombardier and PowerGen.

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 Midlands.

Manual £11,000 to £16,000

Semi-skilled £13,000 to £20,000

Skilled and supervisory £15,000 to £30,000

Managerial£18,000 to £33,000

Executive £30,000 to £50,000 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.