Overview
The Derbyshire Dales economic landscape is marked by a diverse range of sectors, with a notable presence in professional, scientific, and technical activities. The area exhibits a modest growth in employment, a strong SME presence, and a balanced gender representation in company leadership. However, the lack of IPOs and limited scaleup numbers suggest areas for improvement.
Employment and Business Growth
- Total Employees: 25,788. The Derbyshire Dales has seen a 5.48% growth in employment, indicating a healthy job market. The growth is spread across various sectors, with 169 companies reporting an increase in employees.
- Top Sectors: The leading sector is ‘Professional, scientific and technical activities’ with 836 companies, followed by ‘Wholesale and retail trade / repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles’ (577 companies), and ‘Construction’ (543 companies). These sectors represent a strong mix of traditional and emerging industries.
- Sector Dynamics: The sectors showing growth are diverse, including ‘Collaboration tools’, ‘E-commerce’, ‘Defence’, ‘Other transportation operators’, and ‘Automotive’. Each of these sectors has one company contributing to the growth, reflecting a budding diversification in the local economy.
Business Continuity
- Company Cessations: There are 5,150 companies that have ceased operations, contrasting with the 3,852 new companies established in the past two years. This high cessation rate might indicate a challenging business environment or a natural cycle of business turnover.
- Scaleups and IPOs: The region has 26 scaleups but no IPOs, suggesting that while some businesses are growing, they may not yet be at the stage for public offerings. This could be an area for targeted economic support.
Leadership and Innovation
- Gender Representation: Founders show a gender split of 17.14% female to 82.86% male, while directors are 29.27% female to 67.01% male. This points to a gender gap, especially at the founder level, indicating potential areas for diversity improvement.
- Innovation Indicators: With 110 patent owners and 1 grantee, there is evidence of innovation, albeit limited. The lack of significant fundraising activities (only 6 recorded) could be a hindrance to further innovation and growth.
Conclusion
Derbyshire Dales exhibits a robust and varied economic environment with strong employment growth and sector diversity. However, challenges exist in the form of high company cessation rates, limited scaleup progression to IPOs, and a gender disparity in leadership roles. Focusing on nurturing scaleups, enhancing gender diversity, and supporting innovative sectors could further strengthen the economic health of the area.