Employment in engineering has been in decline in the UK since the beginning of this century. In 2004 employment stood at approximately 1.4 million. This is expected to fall to 1.3 million by 2014. However, highly qualified, new recruits will still be in demand to replace those who retire or leave the industry for other reasons.
Women make up about 18% of the workforce. The number of those with a higher (master's) degree in engineering is increasing.
Some UK companies have moved their business abroad to take advantage of lower labour costs and a more highly skilled workforce.
There are over six thousand engineering companies in the South West. They employ approximately 152 thousand people. 39 per cent of companies employ five or more people. Electronics accounts for 23 per cent of the engineering workforce.
Employment of professional engineers, with university degrees, and higher level technicians, with higher national certificates and diplomas, has been steadily increasing. Employment in craft and operator/assembler occupations is declining.
Trends in employment have been influenced by:
Total UK aerospace employment is estimated to be around 122 thousand. The South West has one of the UK's main concentrations of aerospace employment. Over 30 per cent of employees have a university degree.
The aerospace industry will need these in the future:
Figures are for those, 18 and over, working full-time in the UK. With training and career development, higher salaries can be achieved.
| Position | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| Civil engineers Material engineers Mechanical engineers Electrical engineers Electronics engineers Chemical engineers Design and development engineers Production and process engineers Planning and quality control engineers |
£36,331 |
| Electrical/electronic technicians Engineering technicians |
£26,547 |
| Motor mechanics, auto engineers | £26,027 |
The salaries shown are annual, median, gross pay rates. Gross means before tax and other deductions. The median figure is the middle salary in the range of what all people in that category of job earn.
Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2009, O.N.S., © Crown Copyright.
Many people choose to commute (regularly travelling between home and work) to get the job they want. This will show you where most of the jobs in this sector are in the region.
| Bath and North East Somerset | 3,578 |
| Bristol | 8,086 |
| North Somerset | 5,090 |
| South Gloucestershire | 16,047 |
Annual Business Inquiry Employee Analysis 2009, O.N.S., © Crown Copyright.
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