Expert Office Advice

Stats and information for businesses considering relocation to or setting up an office in Manchester.

Manchester, one of the world’s first industrialised cities, is the most populous of districts belonging to the Greater Manchester metropolitan county. It is often called the “Capital of the North” and is the third most visited city in the United Kingdom by foreign tourists.

The city is most popular for being associated to the football teams Manchester United and Manchester City.

Population
392,819 (Census 2001)

Migration, immigration, ethnic diversity, basic population demographics
• Majority of the population fall under the 30-44 age bracket ( 21.2%).
• Ethnicity: White (81%), Mixed ( 3.2%), Black (4.5%), Indian (1.5%)
• Religion: Christian (62.4%), No Religion ( 16%), Muslim (9.1%)
• The workforce is mostly works in Lower managerial and professional occupations (13.5%), Semi-routine occupations (10.6%) or Routine occupations (9.4%).

Unemployment/employment rate
• 51.52%% are employed
• 5.67% are unemployed
• The rest of the population are either students, retired, homemakers or disabled

Average income/salary
Average household income per annum - £16,500 (Source: CACI and GMR, 1998)

Location within the UK
• Located in Northwest England
• Liverpool lies just south of Manchester.

Transport options to and within
• Manchester has plenty of transport options including its own international airport and a very extensive motorway network.
• Bus and rail facilities are also very good.
• Ferry ports are only 30miles away at nearby Liverpool.

Closest airports with average distance from town/city centre
• Manchester International Airport - 7.87 miles
• Liverpool John Lennon Airport - 26.34 miles
• Sheffield City Airport - 36.68 miles
• Leeds/Bradford International Airport - 36.73 miles

Dominating sectors / industries
• Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles - 15.7%
• Real estate, renting and business activities - 14.5%
• Health and social work - 13.1%
• Manufacturing; Electricity, gas and water supply - 11.1%
Data from Census 2001: Industrial Sector in Manchester - Total Employment

Large companies that have headquarters or major branches in the location
• Makro Self Service Wholesalers Ltd
• Lookers Plc
• Arndale House
• Tyco Holdings (U.K.) Ltd
• Kellogg U.K. Holding Company Ltd
• Kwik-Fit Group Ltd
• Invista Textiles (U.K.) Ltd

Major or annual business-related events
• Manchester International Festival (June)

Awards
• 17 Green Flag Awards given to Manchester’s for its parks

Other
• Manchester International Festival (June)
• Existence of the Sportcity Complex in east Manchester

Special business benefits/dispensations
• Unoccupied Premises Relief
• Mandatory rate relief for registered charities and sports clubs
• Discretionary Relief
• Small Business Rate Relief
• Hardship Relief

3 best things about the location
• The Manchester city-region is the economic centre of the North West total. It is the largest contributor to GVA output except for London and the South East.
• World-class facilities (Sportcity Complex) attract visitors for sports and cultural events.
• Since the Commonwealth Games in 2002 the city has attracted more than £2 billion of private sector investment.

Browse available offices to let in Manchester

Resources, stats and info on emerging key business locations and commercial property in the UK:

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