It’s the economic capital of the Yorkshire and Humber region, and Leeds is big enough to attract and retain the best people.

The Yorkshire and Humber region has a population of around five million — equivalent to that of countries like Scotland and Denmark. Leeds is the region’s economic capital, with a workforce of nearly half a million and one of the most diverse economies in the UK.

59,000 new jobs have been created in Leeds over the last decade alone, and an ever-increasing number of companies have major offices and depots in the city. Between 2006 and 2016, total employment is projected to grow by 4.6%, creating an additional 21,100 jobs.

Work
The number of national and international companies with regional and national headquarters in the city means employees with promotion in mind don’t need to go anywhere else to further their careers.

Jeff Morris, of executive recruitment consultants Odgers, Ray and Berndtson, comments: “Leeds is a thriving city for business with a tremendous quality of life, so it attracts talented people and leading companies. Whether you’re a recent graduate or a CEO, you could not wish for a better platform for growth.”

Life balance
There are only a handful of other major cities in the UK that offer similar potential for career development, but what really distinguishes Leeds is the excellent quality of life on offer. The average morning commute in Leeds is just 26 minutes — in London it is nearly double that at an average of 43 minutes. It is factors like this which help make Leeds an enjoyable place to live and work, ensuring that attracting and retaining staff is easier than in many other places.

It’s a clean city too — Cushman and Wakefield’s European Cities Monitor 2007 names Leeds as the best business city in the UK for ‘freedom from pollution’ as well as one of the best for ‘quality of life’. And Leeds is also one of the greenest cities in Europe; more than two thirds of it is designated ‘green belt’ and the city centre is just 20 miles from the Yorkshire Dales. The fast-flowing internal transport network enables 110,000 people to commute in from the wider city region every day — the vibrant city centre is surrounded by a variety of leafy suburbs and outlying market towns like Otley, Ilkley and Morley.

It’s an important factor for local employers. Kevin O’Connor, office managing partner at Baker Tilly, a leading national accountancy firm, comments: “Many people come to Leeds for work and end up building a life here — it has everything you’d want from a major city, without all the drawbacks. You have every opportunity for career development, but the working environment is great, and the lifestyle is second to none. It makes it easy for us to attract the best staff in the country and keep them here.”

So for a perfect combination of great career opportunities with a fantastic quality of life, nowhere works better than Leeds.

For up-to-the-minute details of jobs and careers in and around the Leeds area, visit the Yorkshire Post's job pages at www.jobstoday.co.uk/westyorkshire