The City Employment & Skills Plan 2011 – 2014 set a target of 6,000 new jobs by 2014 if the city was to maintain its employment rate. This figure was exceeded at the start of 2014 but new targets will have to be revised upward in the new plan (expected next year) to reflect an unexpected population increase.
Brighton & Hove has seen a significant increase in population since 2011. The city has grown by 23,400 in the last ten years demonstrating that it continues to be an attractive place to live.
Of these new residents some 13,000 are of working age which means that the city has an even greater need to grow the business base and create new jobs.
Compared to the rest of England, Brighton & Hove now has more people employed in higher paying occupations as managers, professionals or associate professionals. Fewer people are employed in mid-level administrative or skilled trades’ roles and in elementary level roles.
We are in the top five of UK Cities for residents qualified to NVQ4 and above and there has been significant growth in jobs demanding high level skills and qualifications, particularly in areas such as Creative Digital Media and IT.
The 2011 census shows that there has been a fall in the number of lone parents not in work; the fall of 13.5% for lone parents not in work is larger than the fall in England and there are now more lone parents in part-time employment than in England, though fewer in full-time work.
The number of Young People Not in Employment, Education or Training [NEET] has also fallen while school attainment; those achieving 5 GCSE’s grade A* – C [including English & maths] saw a significant improvement in 2012 and 2013.