Demographics
Manchester’s advantages would be incomplete without mention of the people who live and work here. With a population of 2.5 million in Greater Manchester, this young city – 65% of the population are under 45 – has a well-educated workforce of more than 1.2 million. Manchester’s solid higher education foundation contributes nearly 100,000 graduates and postgraduates every year with 18 universities within an hour’s drive. With excellent language, technical and customer service skills, and their well-known ‘can do’ attitude, the Manchester workforce makes the city an ideal location for developing forward-thinking service-oriented, working cultures.
The city is second only to London in the number of international commercial transactions taking place and 80 of the Financial Times Top 100 Companies operate here. In the commercial arena, Manchester is already the largest regional business centre in the UK with 350,000 employers. This single city generates nearly a third of the region’s wealth – equal to Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield combined. Voted the best city outside London in which to do business, Manchester’s determination to build on this competitive advantage is demonstrated by its ongoing investments in infrastructure.
