In what is thought to be the most detailed study of its type, data on 255,370 businesses employing 3 million people has been classified into 19 business groupings (sectors and industries). These range from food and drink to digital and creative and from bio-medical businesses to those associated with construction.

The study examines Office for National Statistics data from 1998 to 2006 for each of the region's 43 local authorities. It reviews characteristics such as company size, change over time and geographic peaks in the number of businesses, employees and levels of financial turnover to paint a picture of the North West economy.

The resultant overview, which draws together all of the study findings, is supported by 38 individual reports offering two different perspectives on each sector and industry with each report providing key maps, graphs and facts on change over time.

The findings from this analysis confirmed predictions in some areas, while in others, they have provided new insights. For instance:

• As might be expected whilst the public administration sector only equates to 5% of the region's businesses it provides jobs for 17% of employees; this is simply a reflection of the large number of people employed by most public concerns. 
• Conversely, the digital and creative sector constitutes 8.4% of businesses and 4.6% of jobs, reflecting a large number of relatively small companies.

The data also examines the ‘head office effect' by comparing data on where people actually go to work (Unit level) with data that classifies workers by their head/management office location (Enterprise level). As both views are equally valid it is important to understand the different pictures that they paint of the region and the scale of the apparent shift in numbers that they show, for example:

• While only 2,305 people actually work in the environment and energy sector in Warrington a further 15,425 are recorded through head offices for the sector that are located in the authority. 
• Conversely 8,565 people work in the sector in Copeland but only 80 people are recorded through head offices (within the sector) that are located in the authority.

Employees - results in opposing positions for Warrington and Copeland

Commenting on the study, Rebecca Riley, Head of Research, from the NWDA said:

"The review has provided an entirely new level of detail in our analysis of data for the different sectors which comprise the regional economy. The comprehensive picture that has been provided will form a key aspect in the evidence base for the forthcoming Regional Strategy 2010."

For further details, please contact Peter Millward, Principal Consultant (peter.millward@kkp.co.uk).

View the findings from this study

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