Winchester named top UK city for job opportunities

Winchester is the best place in the UK for job opportunities, with good average pay and below-average unemployment levels, according to new research.

A study by HR software business Ciphr examined data for 100 highly populated towns and cities in the UK, looking at average full-time wages, pay growth, job listings and unemployment statistics. The cost of housing, as well as happiness scores and people’s overall satisfaction and wellbeing, were also factors which affected the rating.

The research found the Hampshire city to be a clear winner, with salaries 16% higher than the UK median full-time salary, at £40,600 versus £34,963. Density of businesses was 179.1 per 10,000 adults of working age, compared to a UK average of 70.2, while unemployment was low at 2.7%, well below the national average of 3.7% in the year ending December 2023.

Winchester’s pool of employers also grew, rising by 6.3% compared to 2.2% across the UK in 2023, while annual pay increases soared by 14.8%.

Warrington, St Albans, Chelmsford and Sevenoaks also made the top five in the list of best UK places for job opportunities, with Preston, Cheltenham, Guildford, Aberdeen and Reading completing the top 10.

Claire Williams, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, said: “I think this study is incredibly positive in highlighting that the best places to find work are not limited to a few regions or even just the biggest towns and cities.

“We all know that there are numerous factors that can influence people’s decision-making about their choice of area, employers and their careers. While pay is often pivotal – it’s never the only consideration. And the best towns and cities for workers are usually those that offer a good mix of job opportunities, above-average salaries, and affordability (relative to wages).”

Looking specifically at pay, salaries in St Albans were the highest, at £47,641 – 36% above the UK average. Pay in London came in second, with £41,853 (20% above the UK average), followed by £41,242 (18% above the UK average) in Warwick, £41,239 (18% above average) in Sevenoaks and £40,914 (17% above average) in Cambridge.

The UK towns and cities which saw the biggest wage increases for full-time employees in 2023 were Sevenoaks (18.2% rise to £41,239), Southend-on-Sea (17.3% rise to £39,260), Plymouth (16% rise to £31,615), Blackburn (14.8% rise to £31,527), Preston (14.8% rise to £33,188) and Winchester (14.8% rise to £40,600).

Based on figures for this month (July) from Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn, Cambridge has the greatest number of job vacancies per adult, with 1,151 roles being advertised per 10,000 working-age people. Manchester, Bristol, Oxford and Exeter also have a large number of available roles, with 777 job advertisements per 10,000 adults compared to the UK average of around 243.

Recruitment and resourcing opportunities on Personnel Today

Browse more recruitment and resourcing jobs