Mind the gap?

Anna Scott

The national media are often accused of being London-centric.

It’s not just about coverage focusing more on London than the rest of the country, there is an assumption – often overtly expressed, and sometimes backed up with evidence – that London generates more jobs and is more successful as a local economy, than the rest of the country.

A report from a think tank called Centre for Cities released last month suggests that London is “sucking” talent from the rest of Britain with nearly ten times more jobs being created in the capital than the next best performing locations.

London accounted for 80 per cent of private sector growth in the two years to 2012, the report stated, and it warned that young people leaving their hometowns for careers in London never to return, may result in deprivation in other cities.

There’s an element of truth in these findings – I left my home town in Devon in 2000 due to the lack of work opportunities there, and have been in London ever since. Finding jobs in some sectors is virtually impossible outside of the capital. But as is usually the case, different statistics tell different stories.

Another piece of research, this time from recruiter Venn Group, found that while job opportunities in the capital have risen 5% year on year, it is actually the regions that have stormed ahead. Vacancies have risen by 31% in the Thames Valley, 25% in the Midlands, 24% in the North East, 20% in the South West and 8% in the Central and East region over the same period. 

Big employers are moving not just out of London but out of the south east to take advantage of cheaper property and better infrastructure. Bupa and Accenture have moved to Manchester recently, helping to boost the number of digital jobs in the North West region. This is despite the Centre for Cities’ report describing Manchester – and Sheffield – as “very much punching above their weight in terms of their contribution to the national economy”.

Recruitment has always been a sector that cannot be described as London-centric. The signs of recruiters expanding their businesses in different locations provide a barometer for economic growth in a region. You just need to look to Aberdeen to see evidence of that.

With digital media and other technology often rendering physical location irrelevant, many jobs will inevitably move away from London.

But while London may be perceived as the country’s economic hub, growth in other regions must also be highlighted. And it will be recruiters showing where that growth is taking place.