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The North Yorkshire Job Market
Farming and agriculture is key to the region’s economy, with a strong associated food sector. Tourism is also a major part of the economy with York being one of the most visited cities in the UK. York, Harrogate and Skipton have a more business and commercial focus, with the Selby area supporting more manufacturing and energy generation. The coastal area is predominantly a visitor economy but with growing engineering, mining and offshore development.
North Yorkshire is an area of high employment, with good quality and skilled staff in high demand. The key sectors in the county are:
- Advanced manufacturing and engineering - highly skilled rather than traditional engineering
- Agriculture - business and IT skills required in addition to scientific and technological skills
- Business services - increasing emphasis on digital skills
- Construction - sustainable construction skills with new technologies and materials
- Creative and media - working with innovative and new technologies
- Education - growing e-learning platforms and increasing demand for digital skills
- Energy and biorenewables - growth in renewable technologies including wind, wave and tidal
- Financial services - requirement for both financial services and IT skills
- Food manufacturing - preparation and production as well as engineering and quality control
- Health and social care - increased use of technology and bioscience
- Hospitality and tourism - demand for more graduate managers and chefs
- IT and telecoms - growth in IT consultancy, sales / distribution and the games industry
- Professional services - increased automation will mean less ‘highly qualified’ staff
- Retail - less low / medium skilled jobs but need for social media, marketing and management
- Scientific research and development - demand for AI, coding and computing skills
- Small businesses and self-employment - above national average and highest in rural areas
- Transport, warehousing and logistics - need for LGV / FLT drivers and warehouse managers
Within these sectors, example employers in North Yorkshire include:
- Advanced manufacturing and engineering - Econ or Lambert Engineering, Dechra Pharmaceutical, Marshall Aerospace, Sylatech
- Agriculture - Russell Group, ADAS, Hobson Farming Ltd., FERA
- Business services - Capita, Premium Collections, & the Harrogate Convention Centre
- Construction - Persimmon Homes, Shepherd Group, Severfield, Scothern Construction & Simpson (York) Ltd.
- Creative and media - Barker Brooks Media, Paragon Creative, Revolution Software, Fever Digital
- Education - University of York, York St. John University, Askham Bryan College, Selby College
- Energy and biorenewables - Allerton Waste Recovery, Drax Power Station, Croda, Wilson Biochemical
- Financial services - Hiscox, Aviva, Skipton Building Society, BHP Accountancy, NFU Mutual
- Food manufacturing - Nestle, Rank Hovis, Greencore, McCain Foods, Wensleydale Creamery
- Health and social care - NHS, North Yorkshire Council, Avalon Group, Barchester Healthcare, Four Seasons Healthcare
- Hospitality and tourism - Betty’s and Taylors of Harrogate, Hilton Worldwide, Lightwater Valley, Flamingoland
- IT and telecoms - MooD International, Claro Communications, Skipton IT Services, GCHQ
- Professional services - McCormicks Solicitors, Bowman Riley, Quest PR, BHP Accountancy
- Retail - John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Fenwick, Barkers of Northallerton, Next
- Scientific research and development - Unilabs, Covance, Sciantec, Forensic Science Services Laboratory
- Transport, warehousing and logistics - Network Rail, Balfour Beaty Rail, Wincanton, Bowker Group, Virgin East Coast
Within North Yorkshire, small businesses and self-employment account for over 16 per cent of the workforce. We have some of the highest levels of self-employment in the country with the highest numbers in the rural areas.
Future demand in the job market are likely to be driven by several factors, including:
- Science and technology - new technology requires higher skill levels
Opportunities: electronics, design engineering, creative and media, ICT, aerospace, and cyber security. - Demographic change - longer lives need more health and social care
Opportunities: health and social care, biosciences, pharmacology, and leisure. - Globalisation - improving global skill levels require UK skills development
Opportunities: education, science, engineering, creative and media, manufacturing, ICT, and finance. - The environment - research into energy saving and greener technologies
Opportunities: engineering, chemical processing, recycling, agriculture, energy and utilities, and innovation. - Social change and values - increased spending on leisure and tourism
Opportunities: health and beauty, sport and leisure, hospitality and tourism, creative and media, and sales and marketing.
Further information is available from:
National Careers Service for general information on careers, skills and qualities required.
Last updated: November 2022