Area type
Non-metropolitan District
Population
117,937
GDP
£2.4 billion
Average salary
£32,397
Labour force
73,745
Job Density
0.63
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The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Chorley was worth an estimated £2.4 billion in 2020, according to figures published by the ONS. Chorley's GDP growth between 2019 and 2020 was -4.3% per year. Compare GDP by area.
The Health industry is the largest in Chorley based on the number of jobs, accounting for 16.6% of roles in the area.
2020 ONS figures suggest that there are 46,000 jobs in Chorley, which has a working-age (aged 16-65) population of 73,745. The 2020 job density in Chorley is 0.62, meaning there are 0.62 jobs per member of the Chorley working-age population.
Chorley had a mean average salary for full-time employees of £32,397 in 2022. Chorley's unemployment rate is 6.7% as of 2021. Compare unemployment rate by area.
The 2020 labour force or working-age population in Chorley is 73,745 or 62.5% of the total population.
In 2022, 93.3% of the labour market was recorded as employed, below the 94.8% average rate for England. Of those employed, 9.6% are self-employed, and 90.4% are employees.
The Annual Population Survey for 2021 published by the ONS reports the percentage of the Chorley working-age (aged 16-64) population who have a degree or higher is 45.1%, which is above the 42.8% degree qualification rate for England.
Over 70% of the Chorley working-age population have at least 2 A-levels (or equivalent), and 2% have no qualifications.
Qualifications classifications
Main page: Chorley Salary
The average salary in Chorley as of 2022 is £32,397. Between 2021 and 2022, average salaries grew by £1,740. Compare average salaries by area.
Chorley's salary growth rate is 5.68% per year based on changes in average salary between 2021 and 2022, which is 5.68% higher than the average salary growth rate in Chorley over the past 8 years.
Business data published by the ONS in 2021 show the most common job group in Chorley is Caring Personal Service Occupations, accounting for 13% 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 Chorley is Process, Plant And Machines Operatives, with roles increasing 257% between July 2021 and July 2022. In England, the fastest-growing type of role is Corporate Managers And Directors.
Occupation | Number | Percentage | CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caring Personal Service Occupations | 6,600 | 13.2% | 22.2% |
| Administrative Occupations | 4,300 | 8.6% | 48.3% |
| Business, Media And Public Service Professionals | 4,200 | 8.4% | 27.3% |
| Health Professionals | 3,100 | 6.2% | 63.2% |
| Business & Public Service Assoc. Professionals | 3,000 | 6.0% | -34.8% |
There was a 1% 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 Chorley is Health.
Financial & Insurance companies make up 1% of the Chorley economy that's lower than the average for England as a whole (~3%).
4% of the total jobs in Chorley 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 | 7,000 | 16.6% |
| Retail | 4,000 | 9.5% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 3,500 | 8.3% |
| Manufacturing | 3,000 | 7.1% |
| Construction | 3,000 | 7.1% |
The fastest-growing industry in Chorley is Transport & Storage, with jobs in the sector increasing 60% between 2020 and 2021 from 1,250 to 2,000. In England more broadly the fastest-growing industry is Healthcare.
The industry with the biggest decline in Chorley between 2020 and 2021 was Mining, quarrying & utilities, which saw an 22% decrease in roles, going from 225 to 175. 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 Chorley, the number of roles in this sector has fallen by 0% over the past year, below the 1% annual increase seen in England.
Chorley Demographics
Chorley Crime
Rental Market of Chorley
2022 UK Business Count data published by the ONS show there are 10 large businesses in Chorley, making up 0.2% of total businesses - in England, 0.4% of businesses are large. A large business is defined as having over 250 employees.
There are 55 medium-sized businesses based in Chorley, making up 1.2% 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 430 small businesses based in Chorley, making up 9.1% of total businesses - in England, 8.3% of businesses are small. A small business is defined as having between 10 and 49 employees.
Chorley's unemployment rate is 6.7% that's 2% higher 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 Long-term Sick, representing 30.7% of the unemployed population.
Secondary classifications include groups: student, looking after family, retired, 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