Overview
Bury’s economic landscape reveals a dynamic mix of sectors, with a significant presence in administrative, retail, real estate, and technical activities. Despite no IPOs, the city shows a healthy 5.48% employee growth and a focus on scaling up businesses, indicated by 51 scaleups. The diversity in company directors’ gender is notable, though skewed towards male dominance.
Employment and Business Growth
- Total Employees: Bury has 120,527 employees, with 142 companies reporting an increase in employees. This suggests a vibrant job market, with particular growth in sectors like administrative services and retail.
- Percentage Employee Growth: The city experienced a 5.48% growth in employment, indicating a robust and expanding job market.
- Number of Scaleups: With 51 scaleups, Bury demonstrates a supportive environment for business expansion and development.
- Top Sectors by Company Numbers: Administrative and support service activities lead (15.54%), followed by retail trade (12.96%) and real estate activities (12.11%). This diversity reflects a balanced economic base.
- Top Sectors by Growth: Packaging and printing, wholesale, marketing services, healthcare products, and live events sectors are key growth areas, though the number of companies involved is small.
Business Continuity
- Company Cessations: Bury has 2,498 companies that ceased operations, indicating a dynamic but challenging business environment.
- New Companies (Last 2 Years): The city saw 5,275 new companies in the last two years, showing a robust entrepreneurial spirit.
- Total Number of Companies: There are 21,177 companies in total, with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) forming the backbone at 16,681.
- Number of SMEs: The predominance of 16,681 SMEs highlights the city’s strong small business sector.
- Exporters and Foreign Parent Companies: With 290 exporters and 229 companies with foreign parentage, Bury demonstrates international business connections.
Directors and Founders
- Founders’ Gender: 8% female founders versus 89.33% male, showing a significant gender gap in entrepreneurial initiatives.
- Directors’ Gender: 29.13% female to 67.64% male directors, indicating gradual progress in gender diversity in leadership roles.
- Age Distribution of Directors: The directors’ age distribution is quite balanced, with the highest concentration in the 40-50 age range (23.26%).
Conclusion
Bury’s business environment is characterised by a strong presence of SMEs and a diverse sector profile. Employment growth is healthy, though the gender gap in entrepreneurship and leadership roles is notable. The city’s economic health is underpinned by its ability to nurture new businesses and maintain a diverse industrial base.