Above average jobs growth ‘a very encouraging trend’ says LEP chair
New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed strong private sector jobs growth in the Liverpool City Region between 2013 and 2014. In the 12 month period to September 2014, the City Region’s private sector job count grew by 5.4 per cent, 0.5 per cent above the average for England and above Greater Manchester, the Leeds City Region and the North East.
The data, released by the ONS, also shows how the City Region is outperforming all but one of its peer regions on a 2009-14 timescale with 7.9 per cent growth.
The figures also reveal a net gain of 44,000 new private sector jobs in the Liverpool City Region since 2010 which is a greater growth rate than all of the peer city regions. Some 23,000 of these jobs were generated in the 2013/14 period which outpaced the average for the whole of England.
Chair of the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, Robert Hough said: “Such robust job creation figures in the private sector are a very encouraging trend for the City Region and for everybody with an interest in our growth and prosperity.
“That we are outpacing our peer areas is further evidence of how the City Region is playing to its strengths in sectors like Superport, manufacturing and the visitor economy to drive through real, meaningful change at a level which is having the results we all strive for – more jobs.
“While we welcome this independent evidence of private sector growth in the City Region, we recognise that this good news requires a concerted effort to maintain focus and the upward trajectory of growth and jobs by all in our public/private sector partnerships.
“The City Region always has been a great place for business to grow and it is our focus to ensure they can thrive.”
The Liverpool City Region LEP works with its private and public sector members to drive economic growth in the city region in support of key markets and sectors.