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Regional / national dimension
Retailing is an important source of employment in each region of England, although employment in a particular region tends to be determined by the size of the population and the gross domestic product per head. Employment in retail is largest in the London and the South East, accounting for 14% of employment in those regions. The North West also has a relatively large proportion of employment in retail.
Research has found that the highest number of companies (38%) reporting an increase in employment in the retail sector is in the North East.
20% of business start-ups in London and 13 % of start ups in the South East are in retail.
Source: Harris and Church 2002
Employment in retail, 1990-2010
Source: Harris and Church 2002, page 43. Data derived from Business Strategies.
Regional skills gaps in retail and distribution
Data in this section refer to retail and distribution.
Across all regions, the majority of establishments are experiencing skills gaps amongst their sales workforce, with the problems particularly apparent in the East and West Midlands and the North West.
Problems are also being experienced amongst the managerial ranks with over half of London establishments in the retail and wholesale distribution industry experiencing skills gaps. London faces acute pressures because of the concentrations of higher order organisation functions in the capital.
The same pressures are associated with the 42% of establishments in the Eastern region reporting managerial skills gaps. The situation is summarised in the following table.
Source: Harris and Church 2002
Substantial skills gaps in retail and distribution by region, 2001
Source: Harris and Church 2002, page 99. Based on Employers Skills Survey 2001.
Future regional employment in retail and distribution
Above average increases in employment in retail are forecast in:
- East of England (22%)
- South West (12%)
- West Midlands (11%)
The lowest, but still significant, increases are forecast in:
- London (4%)
- Yorkshire and Humberside (7%)
Projections for future employment in the combined retail and distribution sector are shown on the following table. All regions are predicted to experience growth through to 2010.
Projected employment levels and change in distribution (including retail), 1999-2010 by region
Source: Compiled from Skills in England 2003 volume 1, table 6.7 and 6.8.
For further regional projections see Data and charts.
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