Can the most employee-friendly regions in the UK be defined? If criteria can be formulated and data reviewed, what are the geographical outcomes?
Swindon is the most employee friendly city in the UK, at least according to Adobe Express’ study of the best locations for those looking for a career.
The data, which analyses the annual salary, unemployment rates, amount of green space, price of a public transport ticket and coffee, also found that 13 percent of workers in the UK work exclusively from home, whilst 23 percent have adopted a hybrid approach, but which cities cater for all of the needs of an employee?
Employees in the UK have said that amongst several factors, lack of commute and savings on costs are some the main benefits of working from home, but what if the city they lived in catered to all your needs as an employee?
To generate the employee-friendly cities list, Adobe Express compared 30 UK cities, looking into factors including but not limited to; average annual salary, the price of a cappuccino, the cost of public transport and access to green space.
These are the UK’s top employee-friendly cities:
1 Swindon
2 Milton Keynes
3 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Reading
5 Plymouth
6 Sheffield
7 Leeds
8 Peterborough
9 Kingston upon Hull
10 Brighton and Hove
The factors used to price the rankings are as follows:
• Search Volume – The total number of searches within the UK between Sep 23 – Aug 24, for the prompt “jobs in X”, where X is the city.
• Annual Salary – The average annual gross salary in each city as of 2023, according to the ONS. [Weighted 2x]
• Unemployment – The percentage of unemployment in each city as of Jul 24, of those aged 16 and over, according to the ONS. [Weighted 2x]
• Safety Score – A score representing the safety levels in each city, according to numbeo.
• Inexpensive Meal – The average price of an inexpensive meal in each city, according to numbeo.
• Cappuccino – The average price of a cappuccino in each city, according to numbeo.
• Public Transport Ticket – The average price of a one-way public transport ticket, according to numbeo.
• Internet – The average price of internet in each city, having speeds of 60mbps+, according to numbeo.
• Green Space – The percentage of land in each city which is dedicated to green space, such as parks, gardens etc. [Weighted 0.5x]
• Noise Pollution – A score rating noise & light pollution levels in each city, based on numbeo survey responses with a lower score indicating lower pollution. [Weighted 0.5x]
• Creative Jobs – The number of jobs in each city that include “creative” in the job title, according to adzuna.
Swindon ranks as the UK’s most employee friendly city
Swindon comes out on top when it comes to employee havens scoring 6.541 overall, so it’s no surprise that Swindon’s employment rate was higher than across the South West as a whole in the year ending December 20233 and has one of the best scores for unemployment in Adobe’s rankings.
The Swindon and Wiltshire area has an above average number of large companies, including brands like BMW, Ministry of Defence and Nationwide Building Society. Swindon also ranks seventh in Britain when it comes to the rate of productivity per worker.
Milton Keynes is one of the best employee friendly cities
In close second, Milton Keynes ranks as one of the best employee friendly cities in the UK, scoring highly for average annual salary. According to Milton Keynes council, Milton Keynes has one of the highest rates of private sector opportunities.
The private sector brings variety in businesses and competition between companies means that businesses will offer different set ups, and benefits to attract more workers – making it an ideal place for an employee to build a career.
Stoke-on-Tent takes third in employee friendly city rankings
Scoring highly for percentage of green space areas, Stoke-on-Trent ranks third overall with a score of 6.234. Known as “The Potteries,” Stoke-on-Trent has a rich cultural history, particularly in the ceramics industry, which still plays a significant role in the local economy. For employees interested in heritage and arts, there are many museums, galleries, and events celebrating this legacy.
Stoke-on-Trent is centrally located in the UK with excellent transport links, including a direct rail link to major cities like Birmingham, Manchester, and London. This makes commuting and business travel convenient for employees working in or out of the city.
