Area type
Unitary Authority
Population
357,699
GDP
£12 billion
Average salary
£36,254
Labour force
223,682
Job Density
0.92
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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 2020, according to figures published by the ONS. Cheshire West and Chester's GDP growth between 2019 and 2020 was -0.9% per year. Compare GDP by area.
The Health industry is the largest in Cheshire West and Chester based on the number of jobs, accounting for 12.0% of roles in the area.
2020 ONS figures suggest that there are 190,000 jobs in Cheshire West and Chester, which has a working-age (aged 16-65) population of 223,682. The 2020 job density in Cheshire West and Chester is 0.85, meaning there are 0.85 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 £36,254 in 2022. Cheshire West and Chester's unemployment rate is 1.9% as of 2022. Compare unemployment rate by area.
The 2020 labour force or working-age population in Cheshire West and Chester is 223,682 or 62.5% of the total population.
In 2022, 98.1% of the labour market was recorded as employed, above the 94.8% average rate for England. Of those employed, 12.5% are self-employed, and 87.5% are employees.
The Annual Population Survey for 2021 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 43.6%, which is above the 42.8% degree qualification rate for England.
Over 61% of the Cheshire West and Chester working-age population have at least 2 A-levels (or equivalent), and 6% have no qualifications.
Qualifications classifications
Main page: Cheshire West and Chester Salary
The average salary in Cheshire West and Chester as of 2022 is £36,254. Between 2021 and 2022, average salaries fell by £220. Compare average salaries by area.
Cheshire West and Chester's salary growth rate is -0.60% per year based on changes in average salary between 2021 and 2022, which is 0.60% lower than the average salary growth rate in Cheshire West and Chester over the past 9 years.
Business data published by the ONS in 2021 show the most common job group in Cheshire West and Chester is Administrative Occupations, accounting for 12% 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 Culture, Media And Sports Occupations, with roles increasing 182% between July 2021 and July 2022. In England, the fastest-growing type of role is Corporate Managers And Directors.
Occupation | Number | Percentage | CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Occupations | 18,100 | 11.6% | 23.1% |
| Science, Research, Engineering And Technology Profs | 12,900 | 8.3% | -3.7% |
| Corporate Managers And Directors | 12,500 | 8.0% | -29.4% |
| Caring Personal Service Occupations | 11,900 | 7.6% | 12.3% |
| Business & Public Service Assoc. Professionals | 11,500 | 7.4% | 8.5% |
There was a 2% increase in roles between 2020 and 2021. In England as a whole, there was a 3% decrease.
Based on the total number of jobs, the largest industry in Cheshire West and Chester is Health. Other major industries include Retail, which represents over 10% of roles in Cheshire West and Chester.
Financial & Insurance companies make up 7% of the Cheshire West and Chester economy that's higher than the average for England as a whole (~3%).
2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Health | 21,000 | 12.0% |
| Retail | 19,000 | 10.8% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 16,000 | 9.1% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical | 16,000 | 9.1% |
| Education | 14,000 | 8.0% |
The fastest-growing industry in Cheshire West and Chester is Property, with jobs in the sector increasing 40% between 2020 and 2021 from 2,500 to 3,500. In England more broadly the fastest-growing industry is Healthcare.
The industry with the biggest decline in Cheshire West and Chester between 2020 and 2021 was Mining, quarrying & utilities, which saw an 38% decrease in roles, going from 2,000 to 1,250. 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 fallen by 11% over the past year, below the 1% annual increase seen in England.
Cheshire West and Chester Demographics
Cheshire West and Chester Crime
Rental Market of Cheshire West and Chester
2022 UK Business Count data published by the ONS show there are 65 large businesses in Cheshire West and Chester, making up 0.5% of total businesses - in England, 0.4% of businesses are large. A large business is defined as having over 250 employees.
There are 215 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 1,270 small businesses based in Cheshire West and Chester, making up 9.2% 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 1.9% that's 3% 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 24.9% of the unemployed population.
Secondary classifications include groups: student, looking after family, long-term sick, other, 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 2022. Data sources: ONS Local statistics