Birminghamruns on a handful of strong industries. If you’re job-hunting or weighing a move, here’s where the opportunities (and the big-name employers) are.
Top industries & employers
Professional & financial services
Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, HSBC UK, Goldman Sachs, Gowling WLG
HSBC UK moved its ring-fenced retail bank headquarters to Birmingham, and the Big Four all run substantial regional practices — the largest professional services cluster in England outside London.
Advanced manufacturing & automotive
Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, BMW (Hams Hall), Brandauer, a deep tier-two supply chain
The West Midlands remains the industrial heart of British car-making, with design, engineering and component supply spread across the conurbation rather than concentrated in one plant.
Public sector & local government
Birmingham City Council, West Midlands Combined Authority, NHS trusts, HMRC regional centre
Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in Europe by population served, and the public sector is a very large employer here — currently a shrinking one, given the section 114 aftermath.
Higher education & research
University of Birmingham, Aston University, Birmingham City University, University College Birmingham
Four universities and a large student population, with Birmingham's Russell Group research strength concentrated in medicine, physics and materials.
Health & life sciences
University Hospitals Birmingham, Birmingham Health Partners, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham Women's and Children's
The Queen Elizabeth is one of the largest single-site hospitals in Europe and the UK's principal centre for military trauma, which anchors a substantial clinical research cluster.
Jewellery, metalwork & creative production
Jewellery Quarter workshops, the Assay Office, Digbeth studios, BBC and Steven Knight's production base
A genuine survival of skilled manufacturing — a large share of UK-hallmarked jewellery is still made in the Quarter — alongside a fast-growing screen production sector in Digbeth.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.