Area type
Country
Population
59,641,829
GDP
£1.9 trillion
Average salary
£40,408
Labour force
38,177,263
Job Density
0.85
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The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in England and Wales was worth an estimated £1.9 trillion in 2020, according to figures published by the ONS. England and Wales's GDP growth between 2019 and 2020 was -2.3% per year. Compare GDP by area.
The Health industry is the largest in England and Wales based on the number of jobs, accounting for 13.2% of roles in the area.
2020 ONS figures suggest that there are 31,525,000 jobs in England and Wales, which has a working-age (aged 16-65) population of 38,177,263. The 2020 job density in England and Wales is 0.83, meaning there are 0.83 jobs per member of the England and Wales working-age population.
England and Wales had a mean average salary for full-time employees of £40,408 in 2022. England and Wales's unemployment rate is 3.9% as of 2022. Compare unemployment rate by area.
The 2020 labour force or working-age population in England and Wales is 38,177,263 or 64.0% of the total population.
In 2022, 96.1% of the labour market was recorded as employed. Of those employed, 12.4% are self-employed, and 87.6% are employees.
The Annual Population Survey for 2021 published by the ONS reports the percentage of the England and Wales working-age (aged 16-64) population who have a degree or higher is 43.0%
Over 61% of the England and Wales working-age population have at least 2 A-levels (or equivalent), and 7% have no qualifications.
Qualifications classifications
Main page: England and Wales Salary
The average salary in England and Wales as of 2022 is £40,408. Between 2021 and 2022, average salaries grew by £1,872. Compare average salaries by area.
England and Wales's salary growth rate is 4.86% per year based on changes in average salary between 2021 and 2022, which is 4.86% higher than the average salary growth rate in England and Wales over the past 9 years.
In England and Wales, the highest average wages are found in England where the average salary is £40,746 and the lowest average wages are found in Wales where the average salary is £33,878. The difference in average salary between the two areas is £6,868 - the average person in England earns 20.3% more than the average person in Wales.
Business data published by the ONS in 2021 show the most common job group in England and Wales is Administrative Occupations, accounting for 9% of all roles in the area.
The fastest-growing type of job in England and Wales is Health & Social Care Assoc. Professionals, with roles increasing 70% between July 2021 and July 2022.
Occupation | Number | Percentage | CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Occupations | 2,472,700 | 8.6% | 4.0% |
| Business, Media And Public Service Professionals | 2,355,900 | 8.1% | 25.3% |
| Science, Research, Engineering And Technology Profs | 2,348,300 | 8.1% | 17.6% |
| Elementary Administration & Service Occs | 2,232,800 | 7.7% | 5.4% |
| Corporate Managers And Directors | 2,101,700 | 7.3% | -9.4% |
There was a 3% increase in roles between 2020 and 2021.
Based on the total number of jobs, the largest industry in England and Wales is Health.
Financial & Insurance companies make up 4% of the England and Wales economy.
4% of the total jobs in England and Wales are in Information and Communication - one of the key sectors for the future.
Industry | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Health | 3,782,000 | 13.2% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical | 2,624,000 | 9.1% |
| Retail | 2,618,000 | 9.1% |
| Business Administration & Support Services | 2,532,000 | 8.8% |
| Education | 2,437,000 | 8.5% |
The fastest-growing industry in England and Wales is Accommodation & Food Services, with jobs in the sector increasing 7% between 2020 and 2021 from 2,003,000 to 2,143,000.
The industry with the biggest decline in England and Wales between 2020 and 2021 was Agriculture, forestry & fishing, which saw an 6% decrease in roles, going from 424,000 to 398,000.
The Information and communication industry includes many of the top companies of the future. In England and Wales, the number of roles in this sector has risen by 4% over the past year.
England and Wales Demographics
England and Wales Crime
Rental Market of England and Wales
2022 UK Business Count data published by the ONS show there are 9,665 large businesses in England and Wales, making up 0.4% of total businesses. A large business is defined as having over 250 employees.
There are 37,950 medium-sized businesses based in England and Wales, making up 1.5% of total businesses. A medium-sized business is defined as having between 50 and 249 employees.
There are 214,545 small businesses based in England and Wales, making up 8.5% of total businesses. A small business is defined as having between 10 and 49 employees.
England and Wales's unemployment rate is 3.9% Unemployment rates are the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the working-age population.
The main group within the unemployment population is Student, representing 27.4% of the unemployed population.
Secondary classifications include groups: looking after family, long-term sick, retired, other, all of which represent over 10% 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