Centre for Cities

Year of publication: 2017

This report looks at moving publicly funded jobs out of London. It focuses on the move of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to Newport, and the BBC’s relocation to Salford. It considers the potential benefits of job relocation, including the effects on and for different types of job.

In the case of the ONS move, only 10% of staff followed their jobs out of London. Thus many new (to Newport) posts were available to local labour. Wider effects were more difficult to discern. While increased spending power of the additional wages would have some induced economic effect, indirect impacts through local supply chains established by the ONS were difficult to establish. Additionally, the limited labour pool from which the relocated employer could draw posed challenges for its operations and the quality of its outputs.

BBC relocation also concerned a large number of transferred posts – but these also attracted a significant number of related jobs, many from other locations in Greater Manchester. Many new jobs were also created, most in the vicinity of the Salford Quays ‘Media City UK’ site.

The report concludes with implications and questions for policymakers seeking to relocate jobs from London.

Content type: Economy

Tags: Report

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