Life sciences named as North West's biggest employer

The sector that employs the most people in the North West of England is life sciences, new research has discovered.

Accounting for 13.4% of jobs in the region, life sciences employs 455,600 people, the study by Manchester Metropolitan University has revealed.

Named The Changing Professions in the North West of England, the survey looked at the top ten employment growth sectors in the region, which includes major cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Preston.

Although life sciences may be the North West's biggest employer, it is not the fastest-growing industry.

Financial and professional services came top of the fastest-growing list of employers, followed in second place by education.

The number of employees in the North West's finance and professional services industry has increased from 315,200 to 428,800 over ten years.

To adapt to the changing environment in the region 'many universities have positioned themselves as business facing and have prioritised higher-skills training,' Professor John Brooks, the Vice Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University, stated.