Area type
Unitary Authority
Population
343,823
GDP
£12 billion
Average salary
£36,474
Labour force
206,998
Job Density
0.97
View trend
View trend
View breakdown
Cheshire West and Chester's economy ranks among the most prosperous in England.
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Cheshire West and Chester was worth an estimated £12 billion in 2019, according to figures published by the ONS. Cheshire West and Chester's GDP growth between 2018 and 2019 was -0.4% per year. Compare GDP by area.
The Retail industry is the largest in Cheshire West and Chester based on the number of jobs, accounting for 13.4% of roles in the area.
2019 ONS figures suggest that there are 201,000 jobs in Cheshire West and Chester, which has a working-age (aged 16-65) population of 206,998. The 2019 job density in Cheshire West and Chester is 0.97, meaning there are 0.97 jobs per member of the Cheshire West and Chester working-age population.
Cheshire West and Chester had a mean average salary for full-time employees of £36,474 in 2021. Cheshire West and Chester's unemployment rate is 3.0% as of 2021. Compare unemployment rate by area.
The 2019 labour force or working-age population in Cheshire West and Chester is 206,998 or 60.2% of the total population.
In 2021, 97.0% of the labour market was recorded as employed, above the 94.8% average rate for England. Of those employed, 11.7% are self-employed, and 88.3% are employees.
The Annual Population Survey for 2020 published by the ONS reports the percentage of the Cheshire West and Chester working-age (aged 16-64) population who have a degree or higher is 45.4%, which is above the 42.8% degree qualification rate for England.
Over 66% of the Cheshire West and Chester working-age population have at least 2 A-levels (or equivalent), and 7% have no qualifications.
Qualifications classifications
Main page: Cheshire West and Chester Salary
The average salary in Cheshire West and Chester as of 2021 is £36,474. Between 2020 and 2021, average salaries grew by £3,988. Compare average salaries by area.
Cheshire West and Chester's salary growth rate is 12.28% per year based on changes in average salary between 2020 and 2021, which is 12.28% higher than the average salary growth rate in Cheshire West and Chester over the past 9 years.
Business data published by the ONS in 2020 show the most common job group in Cheshire West and Chester is Corporate Managers And Directors, accounting for 10% of all roles in the area. In England as a whole, the largest job group is Business & Public Service Assoc. Professionals.
The fastest-growing type of job in Cheshire West and Chester is Teaching And Educational Professionals, with roles increasing 150% between July 2020 and July 2021. In England, the fastest-growing type of role is Corporate Managers And Directors.
Occupation | Number | Percentage | CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Managers And Directors | 17,700 | 10.3% | -18.8% |
| Administrative Occupations | 14,700 | 8.6% | -2.0% |
| Business, Media And Public Service Professionals | 14,300 | 8.3% | 83.3% |
| Science, Research, Engineering And Technology Profs | 13,400 | 7.8% | 42.6% |
| Business & Public Service Assoc. Professionals | 10,600 | 6.2% | -36.5% |
There was a 2% decrease in roles between 2019 and 2020. In England as a whole, there was a 2% decrease.
Based on the total number of jobs, the largest industry in Cheshire West and Chester is Retail. Other major industries include Health, which represents over 10% of roles in Cheshire West and Chester.
Financial & Insurance companies make up 6% of the Cheshire West and Chester economy that's higher than the average for England as a whole (~3%).
3% of the total jobs in Cheshire West and Chester are in Information and Communication, one of the key sectors for the future, below the 5% of jobs in England as a whole.
Industry | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 23,000 | 13.4% |
| Health | 19,000 | 11.0% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical | 16,000 | 9.3% |
| Manufacturing | 14,000 | 8.1% |
| Education | 14,000 | 8.1% |
The fastest-growing industry in Cheshire West and Chester is Information & Communication, with jobs in the sector increasing 13% between 2019 and 2020 from 4,000 to 4,500. In England more broadly the fastest-growing industry is Healthcare.
The industry with the biggest decline in Cheshire West and Chester between 2019 and 2020 was Wholesale, which saw an 17% decrease in roles, going from 6,000 to 5,000. In England more broadly the industry with the biggest year on year decline was Arts, entertainment & recreation, with roles decreasing by 8%.
The Information and communication industry includes many of the top companies of the future. In Cheshire West and Chester, the number of roles in this sector has risen by 13% over the past year, above the 1% annual increase seen in England.
Cheshire West and Chester Demographics
Cheshire West and Chester Crime
Rental Market of Cheshire West and Chester
2021 UK Business Count data published by the ONS show there are 60 large businesses in Cheshire West and Chester, making up 0.4% of total businesses - in England, 0.4% of businesses are large. A large business is defined as having over 250 employees.
There are 220 medium-sized businesses based in Cheshire West and Chester, making up 1.6% of total businesses - in England, 1.5% of businesses are medium-sized. A medium-sized business is defined as having between 50 and 249 employees.
There are 1,220 small businesses based in Cheshire West and Chester, making up 8.7% of total businesses - in England, 8.3% of businesses are small. A small business is defined as having between 10 and 49 employees.
Cheshire West and Chester's unemployment rate is 3.0% that's 2% lower than the average unemployment rate for England as a whole. Unemployment rates are the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the working-age population.
The main group within the unemployment population is Retired, representing 36.5% of the unemployed population.
Secondary classifications include groups: student, looking after family, long-term sick, all of which represent over 10% of the unemployed population.
In England as a whole, students are the main group within the unemployed population, accounting for 28.9% of the unemployed population.
Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2021. Data sources: ONS Local statistics