If you’re looking to start work, develop your skills or grow your career, Stockport is the place to be.
Located between the Peak District, the Cheshire Plain and the UK’s fastest growing city, Stockport is one of ten boroughs in Greater Manchester. It’s a place of contrasts, where modern office, housing and leisure developments meet heritage sites, independent traders and award-winning local parks.
Accessible and connected, Stockport is an exciting place to live, study and work.
Manchester is just 7 miles away, it’s less than 2 hours by train to London and Manchester Airport, with 23 million passengers per year, is only 20 minutes’ drive.
The £135m state of the art transport interchange and planned improvements to local transport networks (like the new Cheadle rail station) are bringing jobs and opportunities closer.
With a population of 295,000 and home to an estimated 14,000 businesses, Stockport is a major economic player in the North West.
Amongst our residents, 61% are of working age (that’s people aged between 16 and 64) and 83% of that group are classed as ‘economically active’ (which means working or actively seeking work). Exceeding the averages for the North West and England as a whole, that gives Stockport the 3rd largest workforce in the Greater Manchester region.
Stockport Population
Local Businesses
Working Age Population
Because of our diverse economy, Stockport is able to be competitive across a number of different industry sectors.
We’re home to big name brands – from world-renowned manufacturers to market-leading tech innovators – but 80% of our businesses are actually micro-businesses or SMEs (employing under 50 people).
We have a wide range of premises (including high quality office, retail and industrial sites), with access to the skills and markets to support the growth of niche sectors and attract innovative businesses to the area.
Stockport – a Town of Culture
In recent years Stockport has been widely celebrated as an emerging hub of creative activity, being dubbed the ‘new Berlin’ by DJ Luke Unabomber, and in 2023, Stockport was awarded Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture.
It coincides with major public redevelopments and investment in the town – including the refurbishment of our iconic Hat Works Museum, cutting edge digital arts opportunities to be opened up through the £2.6m Stockport Creative Campus Cultural Fund and the development of the £14m Future High Street Stockroom discovery centre. From vibrant street art (like La Boca to La Stocka) to crowd-drawing events (like Stockport’s Krazy Races and Foodie Friday), it’s no surprise that many high-quality TV and film productions have chosen to use the borough as a backdrop with 197 shoot days and an estimated production spend of £3.5 million since 2018.
Today, our major employment sectors in Stockport are in wholesale and retail, health and social care, and in admin and support services.
There are 137,900 people working in Stockport’s businesses. 15.3% of those are in the wholesale and retail trade, and 13.9% are in the health and social care sector. 14,000 people are employed in professional, technical and scientific industries and 10,000 work in manufacturing.
Looking to the future, Stockport has ambitious plans for growth and is attracting new investment.
By 2035, major planned developments will lead to the creation of new jobs across a range of sectors.
New Jobs
in Business & Professional Services
New Jobs
in Construction & Property
New Jobs
in Digital & Creative sector
‘Something special in the air’: new bars, art, music and restaurants are turning heads in Stockport
“Creatives and a clued-in council are making things happen in the Greater Manchester town.”
“Why Stockport, Greater Manchester, is one of the best places to live 2023”
“An abundance of property and parks makes this a popular pick for young professionals moving on from Manchester’s centre.”
Inside the new neighbourhood that will soon become ‘the coolest place to live in Greater Manchester’
“The area under Stockport Viaduct will come with its own cinema room, gym and yoga studio.”
Stockport – One of “The 12 best places in the UK to spend your retirement”
“The research was carried out by the consumer group from a survey conducted of more than 1,000 of its members to determine what is most important to them when they retire.”
“Stockport named among happiest places to live in the North West”
“Stockport has been hailed as one of the happiest places to live in the North West by online property platform Rightmove.”
Day-in-the-Life Videos
Hear from Stockport employees talking about their job roles, career routes, and what they love about the work they do for a range of Stockport businesses.
One Stockport, One Future.
Over the last decade, Stockport has seized the opportunity to modernise with ongoing efforts to regenerate the town centre and revitalise the whole Borough. It’s a really ambitious place undergoing spectacular transformation. Looking to the future, Stockport aims to be a place where anything is possible – a place that everyone can be proud of.
It sets out a vision for Stockport for 2030, to create a place that works for everyone – businesses, residents, community organisations and charities. This includes a commitment to creating good jobs and employment opportunities by bringing 1500 new businesses to Stockport and creating at least 6500 new jobs.
Explore Careers in Stockport
Find out past and future trends affecting different sectors, their average salaries, entry requirements and career prospects.
