Look at north-west England

The north-west of England has an area of 14,165 square kilometres. It is bounded on the west by the Irish Sea and on the east by the Pennines, and stretches from the Scottish borders in the north, to the Welsh mountains in the south. The highest point in the region is Scafell Pike, in Cumbria, England’s highest peak at 3,209 feet.

With nearly 7 million inhabitants (almost 12% of the UK total with 25% of them under 16) in more than 3 million households (over 11% of the UK total) it has the second largest population of the UK’s regions and (at 475 people per square kilometre) is three times more densely populated than the European average. Its £60 billion economy incorporates Manchester (population 2.5 million), Merseyside (population 1.5 million), Chester, Lancaster and Carlisle.

Once the home of the industrial revolution, the north-west has developed at a rapid pace and is based on a partnership between the public and private sectors. Inward investment continues to rise, bolstered by the expansion of ManchesterAirport and JohnLennonLiverpoolAirport. Manufacturing output has risen at only half the rate of the UK as a whole, while key growth areas like the electrical, optical, pulp, paper and publishing sectors are under-represented. The region has responded to global shifts with the growth of emerging new sectors such as biotechnology, chemicals, aerospace and ICT. Over 70% of the workforce of around 4 million is now employed in service industries.

Regional gross value added (GVA) is more than 10% of the UK total, with a GVA per head of £15,088, around 90% of the UK average. With GDP of £75.8 billion, the economy exceeds that of several European countries. The unemployment rate is around 5% – comparable with figures for the UK as a whole, with a higher proportion of full-time workers and fewer self-employed than in the rest of the country. Average earnings are 92% of those for the UK, but living and business costs are significantly lower than those of other crowded regions. Research and development funding is at a high level compared to other UK regions.

Sectors growing fast include energy, water, public administration, distribution, hotels and restaurants, construction (including Olympic facilities), real estate, business services, education, and health and social work. There is constant demand for construction trades such as plumbers, electricians and carpenters.

The engineering and manufacturing sectors face recruitment and training challenges as a result of skills shortages. There are opportunities in distribution and transport, including drivers (particularly LGV), mechanics and people in supervisory positions. Business and other services, particularly in the retail and leisure sectors, also offer employment. The ICT industry may be recovering, while security companies are always looking for suitable employees.

Manchester and Liverpool city centre are crucial to the economic regeneration of the region. Two urban regeneration companies are leading coordinated regeneration of these areas. The north-west is host to such major companies as Adidas, Astra-Zeneca, BAE Systems, BNFL, Brother, BT, BUPA, Centrica, Colgate-Palmolive, Co-op, Ford, Fujitsu, Granada, Hewlett Packard, Heinz (with the largest food-processing complex in Europe on a 55-acre site at Kitt Green in Wigan, producing 1.4 billion cans of food each year), IBM, ICI Chemicals, ICL/Fujitsu, JJB Sports, Kellogg’s, Littlewoods,Pilkington, Princes, Rank Hovis, Reebok, Royal Bank of Scotland, Scottish & Newcastle, Sharp, Shell, Siemens, Sun Micro Systems and Vauxhall.

The principal road link is the M6, running from Carlisle and Scotland in the north to Warrington in the south, intersecting many other motorways and A-roads. Road networks intertwining Greater Manchester and Merseyside are extremely important to the economy and are largely motorways, including the M62, which traverses the entire country. The Merseyside/Manchester region’s roads serve many millions on a daily basis, with countless numbers of other motorways, A-roads, B-roads and minor roads throughout the rest of the region.

ManchesterAirport is the UK’s fourth busiest airport, and the 22nd busiest airport in the world, with 250 movements a year. Manchester Piccadilly station is the largest train station in the region, and the largest and busiest in England outside of London. The main connection by train is the West Coast Main Line connecting most of the North West. Sea ferries use the Port of Liverpool.

With nearly 4,000 schools the region has 15% of the English total, while 62 further education colleges and 15 higher education institutions support a growing number of students. However, skill levels are generally low, making one in five skilled job vacancies difficult to fill, and 20% of employees do not have the right skills for the job. Sports clubs are thriving.

More than 2,500 square kilometres are designated as Green Belt, with a further 261,000 hectares of National Park. This supports nearly 1.5 million overseas visitors, spending £466 million. Top attractions include BlackpoolPleasureBeach, Chester Zoo, Southport Pleasureland, Chester Cathedral, Lake Windermere and The Lowry. Tourism has had an increasing role to play, with over 15 million tourists annually experiencing the region. Liverpool is this year’s European Capital of Culture.