Northampton is among the best towns in country for jobs growth
GV of Abington Street for a piece on ghosts of High St past.
BUSINESS leaders and politicians in Northampton say latest research proves the town is in a good position to weather the economic downturn.
A national study published by the Centre for Cities yesterday revealed Northampton was among the country’s top performing towns for employment rates and growth in private sector jobs.
The leader of Northampton Borough Council, Councillor David Mackintosh (Con, Rectory Farm), welcomed the report, but said more work had to be done to push the town forward.
He said: “It’s great this report confirms Northampton is in a strong position with some great opportunities on the horizon for regeneration and growth.
“But we can’t be complacent, these are challenging and difficult times and we need to continue to work hard with our partners in business and the public sector to make sure Northampton continues to thrive and comes out of the recession in front of the pack.”
The research by the Centre for Cities showed Northampton had the eighth highest employment rate of any town or city in the UK.
The town also saw the eighth highest rate of growth in private sector jobs, with 1,300 created between 2009 and 2010.
The research was welcomed by businessman Stephen Chown, chairman of Northampton Town Centre Ltd, a group set up to improve the town centre.
He said: “It’s certainly good to be noted for such positive reasons and I feel we’ve really laid the foundations for businesses to thrive in this town now.”
Areas where Northampton fared poorly in the research included the percentage of residents with top qualifications and the amount of growth seen in the town’s housing market.
Northampton has the eighth highest employment rate in the UK at 76.1 per cent.
The town saw the eighth highest growth in private sector jobs with a 1.3 per cent increase between 2009 and 2010.
Only 22.2 per cent of residents have high qualifications, ranking the town 55th in the country.
The town was rated 60th for house price growth, with average sales increasing from £84,000 in 2000 to £155,100 in 2010, or 6.3 per cent.
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There are 6 comments to this article
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lady muck
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 08:38 AMWe don't want a town full of clever people. They will earn loads of money and push up the house prices and make the rest of us look stupid.
Common sense
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 02:15 PMMission0ps---I agree only in part--retail ambiance is only one element of the feelgood factor--people must :-earn enough money, have good healthcare and feel safe--be able to buy their own homes and educate their children to a standard giving them in turn opportunities. There must be excellent places for people to enjoy their leisure activitiestime off from work. In business its important to create the environment to create wealth which allows further investment , more jobs,more profits and a good return on the investment. People must also feel there is opportunity for them to do better and that the Government (National and Local) will assist that process and not hinder it. Most of all it must be a fair playing pitch and people should be given preference. For example if Buxton Fields was in the ownership of a businessman then the development should go ahead without delay--as its in the ownership of the Council time is not of the essence. My logic is that the businessman will reinvest-creating more opportunities and so on-the Council will put the money in the Bank to strengthen their balance sheets
nad
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 01:59 PMIf you want a job packing boxes in a warehouse then Northampton is the place to be, if you want more out of life then it isn't, hence the 55th in the country in terms of qualifications.
Mission0ps
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 01:01 PMGreat comment by common sense "If NBC get on with it Northampton future could indeed be bright but it will need strong political leadership and vision." But as Jenny highlights, there is a big gaping need in the towns main shopping area, and that IS the bench mark for locals looking at the prosperity and opportunities within Northampton. There's a different feeling on the ground .....
Common sense
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 10:24 AMThis report overall is good news for Northampton and for a change the Chron has actually mentioned an acute lack of houses being built. I hope the new young leader of NBC picks up on this and use it for positive purposes. The lack of progress on housing is due to the unwillingness of Councillors to confront necessary, but politically unpalatable, development in their areas. NBC has not identified a 5 year housing land supply. The Leader of the Council must now instill some urgency and make sure that land within NBC is identified and used first to bring much needed Pickles New Homes Bonus cash into the Borough coffers. Northampton also featured low in the pecking order for weekly wages and this is largely due to a dominant Logistics sector. However with the new Enterprise Zones and a focus on high tech higp pay jobs the balance should swing positively. If NBC get on with it Northampton future could indeed be bright but it will need strong political leadership and vision.
jenny jane
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 09:18 AMWas that written before more shops went into liquidation causing the job centre queues to get bigger... Spec savers are good opticians for seeing the REAL figures and closed shops...
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