Manufacturing jobs buoyant across devolved nations
The number of manufacturing jobs has grown in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but England, apart from the East of England, has seen a fall.
Make UK and BDO’s Annual Manufacturing Outlook Report shows that in the twelve months to March 2024, the number of manufacturing jobs in Wales increased by 13,000, 10,000 in Scotland and 2,000 in Northern Ireland.
Every English region saw a fall in manufacturing jobs in the same period, with the East of England being the only region showing a slight rise. Consequently, the sector saw an overall fall of 34,000 jobs in the twelve months to March.
According to Make UK, the increase in Scotland is likely to have been driven by renewables investment, while Wales has a significant supply chain in the aerospace and defence sectors.
Finding skilled workers remains challenging as 64,000 vacancies remain in the sector, which accounts around £6bn in lost output according to Make UK analysis. Subsequently, Make UK is urging the new government to make tackling skill shortages and reforming the technical education system the centrepiece of its industrial strategy.
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