employment
Employment rates in the Greater West of England compared to other UK regions
This data insight describes employment rates across the Greater West of England using data from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Employment rate is defined as the proportion of people aged 16–64 who are in paid work.
The Greater West of England is a bespoke geography defined here as Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire.
The analysis presents employment rates over time for the Greater West of England and compares them with the UK excluding London. It also shows variation in employment rates across local authorities and parliamentary constituencies within the region. Comparisons with selected combined authority areas in England are included for additional context.
80.8%
Employment rate in the Greater West of England, 2025
+0.9 pp
Change in the Greater West of England employment rate, 2024–2025
82.9%
Employment rate in South Gloucestershire, the highest among areas in the Greater West of England, 2025
71.6%
Employment rate in Bath, the lowest among constituencies in the Greater West of England, 2025
Employment rate trends in the Greater West of England, 2005–2025
This visualisation shows the employment rate for the Greater West of England and the UK excluding London between 2005 and 2025.
Across the time series, the employment rate in the Greater West of England has consistently remained above the UK excluding London average.
In 2025, the employment rate in the Greater West of England was 80.8%, compared with 75.6% in the UK excluding London.
Employment rates fell during the period affected by the COVID-19 pandemic before increasing again in subsequent years. The most recent data show the employment rate in the Greater West of England returning to a level slightly above its pre-pandemic peak.
Employment rates by local authority area in the Greater West of England
This visualisation shows employment rates across local authority areas within the Greater West of England, alongside the Greater West of England average and national comparisons.
In 2025, the employment rate in the Greater West of England was 80.8%, compared with 75.5% in the UK and 75.6% in the UK excluding London.
Across areas within the Greater West of England, employment rates ranged from 75.3% in Bath and North East Somerset to 82.9% in South Gloucestershire.
Higher employment rates were also recorded in Wiltshire (83.1%), North Somerset (82.1%) and Gloucestershire (82.0%), while Swindon (76.9%) and Bristol (79.5%) recorded rates closer to the regional average.
All local authority areas within the Greater West of England recorded employment rates above the UK and UK excluding London averages.
Employment rates by parliamentary constituency in the Greater West of England
This visualisation shows employment rates across parliamentary constituencies within the Greater West of England.
Variation in employment rates is larger at constituency level than at local authority level.
Across constituencies in the Greater West of England, employment rates ranged from 71.6% in Bath to 90.7% in Frome and East Somerset.
Other constituencies with relatively high employment rates include Filton and Bradley Stoke (87.3%), North Somerset (87.1%), Melksham and Devizes (87.0%), and South West Wiltshire (86.0%).
A small number of constituencies recorded employment rates below the UK excluding London average (75.6%), including Bath (71.6%), Bristol North East (73.0%), and Bristol East (75.6%).
Employment rates in the Greater West of England compared with combined authority areas and UK comparators
his visualisation compares employment rates in the Greater West of England with those recorded across selected combined authority areas in England. UK and UK excluding London are shown for context.
In 2025, the employment rate in the Greater West of England was 80.8%, which is higher than both the UK average (75.5%) and the UK excluding London average (75.6%).
Among the combined authority areas shown, employment rates ranged from 70.3% in the North East to 78.9% in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
The Greater West of England recorded the highest employment rate among the areas shown, with other relatively high employment rates recorded in York and North Yorkshire (78.1%), Devon and Torbay (77.7%), and Lancashire (75.6%).
Lower employment rates were recorded in areas including Greater Manchester (72.0%), Liverpool City Region (72.0%), West Midlands (70.6%) and Tees Valley (70.4%).
