Key Skills
Birmingham makes full use of a workforce with many skills from many backgrounds, actively promoting a greater exchange of ideas and innovation. It has a diverse local economy boasting 42,000 companies ranging from motorcar manufacturing, electronics to computing, all in search of breakthroughs in technology. It also has a fast-growing business, financial and professional services sector which employs over 100,000 people.
Employment figures by occupation, qualifications and an analysis of sectors in which people are employed.
EMPLOYMENT BY OCCUPATION (Jan 2009-Dec 2009) | Birmingham
| Birmingham
(%) | West Midlands
(%) | Great Britain
(%) |
| • Soc 2000 major group 1-3 | 162,500 | 41.4 | 40.3 | 44.1 |
| 1. Managers and senior officials | 45,700 | 11.6 | 14.4 | 15.7 |
| 2. Professional occupations | 68,300 | 17.3 | 12.8 | 13.6 |
| 3. Associate professional & technical | 48,600 | 12.3 | 12.9 | 14.7 |
| • Soc 2000 major group 4-5 | 71,400 | 18.2 | 22.4 | 21.7 |
| 4. Administrative & secretarial | 39,900 | 10.1 | 11.1 | 11.2 |
| 5. Skilled trades occupations | 31,400 | 8.0 | 11.2 | 10.4 |
| • Soc 2000 major group 6-7 | 75,300 | 19.2 | 16.5 | 16.1 |
| 6. Personal service occupations | 46,200 | 11.7 | 9.4 | 8.6 |
| 7. Sales and customer service occs | 29,100 | 7.4 | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| • Soc 2000 major group 8-9 | 83,700 | 21.3 | 20.7 | 18.1 |
| 8. Process plant & machine operatives | 31,400 | 7.9 | 8.3 | 6.7 |
| 9. Elementary occupations | 52,300 | 13.2 | 12.4 | 11.3 |
SOC = Standard Occupational Classifications
Source: ONS annual population survey
Notes:
- Numbers and % are for those of 16+
- % is a proportion of all persons in employment.
QUALIFICATIONS (Jan 2009-Dec 2009) | Birmingham
(numbers) | Birmingham
(%) | West Midlands
(%) | Great Britain
(%) |
| NVQ4 and above | 160,100 | 24.6 | 24.8 | 29.9 |
| NVQ3 and above | 271,100 | 41.7 | 43.8 | 49.3 |
| NVQ2 and above | 367,100 | 56.4 | 60.9 | 65.4 |
| NVQ1 and above | 450,800 | 69.3 | 75.6 | 78.9 |
| Other qualifications | 65,800 | 10.1 | 8.2 | 8.8 |
| No qualifications | 133,800 | 20.6 | 16.2 | 12.3 |
Source: ONS annual population survey
Notes:
- For an explanation of the qualification levels see the definitions section
- Numbers and % are for those of aged 16-6
- % is a proportion of resident population of area aged 16-64
EMPLOYEE JOBS (2008) | Birmingham
(employee jobs) | Birmingham
(%) | West Midlands
(%) | Great Britain
(%) |
| Total employee jobs | 484,400 | - | - | - |
| Full-time | 340,800 | 70.4 | 69.4 | 68.8 |
| Part-time | 143,600 | 29.6 | 30.6 | 31.2 |
| Employee jobs by industry | | | | |
| Manufacturing | 48,600 | 10.0 | 13.8 | 10.2 |
| Construction | 16,700 | 3.4 | 4.9 | 4.8 |
| Services | 416,700 | 86.0 | 79.7 | 83.5 |
| Distribution, hotels & restaurants | 105,100 | 21.7 | 23.6 | 23.4 |
| Transport & communications | 23,400 | 4.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| Finance, IT, other business activities | 111,500 | 23.0 | 18.6 | 22.0 |
| Public admin, education & health | 156,000 | 32.2 | 27.0 | 27.0 |
| Other services | 20,600 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 5.3 |
| Tourism-related† | 37,600 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 8.2 |
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