Career Coaching
in East of England

Employment Landscape

Job seekers in the East of England are stepping into a labour market marked by cautious momentum and specific challenges. The region saw the largest increase in workforce jobs across the UK, up by approximately 90,000, and maintains one of the highest employment rates at around 78 percent. However, AstraZeneca in Cambridge has paused a planned £200 million expansion that could have created around 1,000 roles, and chain retail closures—accelerated by rising costs and tax pressures—continue to contract opportunities in physical storefronts. On the upside, sectors like life sciences remain clustered around the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, and infrastructure investments tied to the Oxford‑Cambridge corridor may yield opportunities in logistics, planning, and housing. Job seekers should expect high competition in growth areas even as some anchor employers hold back new hiring.

Dominant Industries

Typical Roles

Hiring Patterns

Recruitment in the East of England is most active in the life sciences cluster, particularly around Cambridge, though expansion plans by major employers are currently on hold. Retail and hospitality roles are contracting as store closures mount, even while workforce jobs overall have been rising regionally. Infrastructure-linked jobs may grow gradually as corridor investments unfold.

"In this region, skilled science and infrastructure roles still open—but if a giant like AstraZeneca hits pause, you know the competition is only going to get tougher."