Crawley defies odds to join job hotspot top 10

• Crawley enters top 10 best places to find a job for the first time in 2017 – competition per jobseeker per vacancy sits at 0.18
• Average advertised salary in Crawley reaches £31,098 – higher than salaries in nearby Brighton (£30,415) and Chichester (£28,329)
• Total advertised vacancies in Crawley currently stand at 3,584, as popular brands such as The Automobile Association, UPS and Nando’s advertise job roles

Crawley has become one of the best places in the UK to find a job – entering the top 10 for the first time since August 2016 – according to Adzuna.

With 2017 marking the 70^th anniversary of Crawley being named one of eight new towns around London, Adzuna’s research could provide cause for a double celebration. Entering the top 10 places Crawley in the illustrious company of the likes of Manchester, Cambridge and Guildford.

In addition to the favourable competition per jobseeker ration on Crawley (0.18), average advertised salaries in the town currently sit at £31,098. In terms of a regional comparison, average salaries in Crawley sit ahead of neighbouring areas such as Brighton (£30,415) and Chichester (£28,329). Although not yet on par with London salaries (£38,732), Crawley has shown growth potential above the average advertised salary for the South East region (£30,511). According to regional labour market statistics from the Office of National Statistics, the highest employment rate in the UK is in the South East (79.6%).

There are currently 3,584 advertised vacancies in Crawley, according to Adzuna. The Automobile Association leads the companies hiring in Crawley on the website, followed by The British Motoring Association, Chichester College, Business Steam, Thales and UPS.

Crawley is a major economic hub within Sussex, with ideal transport links to Gatwick airport and an ambitious programme of regeneration offering opportunities for connectivity and development across multiple sectors. Adzuna is celebrating such ‘challenger’ towns upsetting the established status quo, with shared domestic wealth more likely to result in a healthier post-Brexit economy.

Elsewhere in the top 10, Cambridge keeps hold of a top spot it has held for some considerable time, with just 0.04 jobseekers per vacancy. Warrington (0.11), Guildford (0.11), Southampton (0.12) and Winchester (0.13) round out the top five, with all areas home to considerably more vacancies than there are potential candidates.

Doug Monro, co-founder of Adzuna comments: “Crawley might be known for its historic links to the Stone Age, a vibrant new town and connectivity to the one of the UK’s major international airports, but it’s also now an employment hub and respected business location and opportunities are rife at present.

“The South East has long been a prosperous area in terms of employment prospects, but we’re pleased to see new towns and cities challenge the longer established hotspots. Sports fans and budding managerial candidates in Crawley can also take inspiration from the fact that England manager Gareth Southgate attended school in the town.” 

The highest jobs currently listed in the area are for an operations manager (paying £800 a day) and an interim finance director role paying £700 a day. At the other end of the skills spectrum, companies such as Nando’s and Pets at Home are also advertising both full and part-time work.

Competition for jobs in nearby Chichester sits at 0.28, making Crawley a more favourable place for jobseekers. As Crawley undergoes the rejuvenation programme, competition levels have started to drop, in contrast to its last appearance in Adzuna’s Top 10 list, when jobseekers per vacancy sat at 0.24 in August 2016.

Overall levels of competition for vacancies, at present, are less rigid as the UK economy has undergone a steep fall in unemployment. Despite this, poor wage growth as a whole has placed a dark cloud over consumer confidence and added pressure to household incomes.

However, as new areas such as Crawley enter the top 10 best places to find a job, this opens opportunities for the movement of migrant workers, which will leverage UK industries.          

Doug Monro, co-founder of Adzuna comments: “The South East has the highest employment rate in the UK and it is promising to see Crawley emerge as a key driver behind this. Crawley has the foundations of economic success, following its rejuvenation programme, and has proven itself by utilising its transport links, history and culture to create multiple opportunities for jobseekers and employees. Despite salaries in the South East being down 4.1% year-on-year, we hope to see Crawley’s success continue and for it to rise the ranks and chart even higher on our list, to compete with major players such as Cambridge and Guildford.”

Crawley fact file