Economy
The Cumbrian Economy
Cumbria is England’s second largest county representing 48% of the land mass of the North West. The area is home to the beautiful Lake District and half the county is designated as National Park or Areas of Outstanding National Beauty. Alongside this physical beauty is an economy which provides employment for over 215,000 people in over 20,000 enterprises which together produces £6.7bn in gross value. Major business sectors include manufacturing, tourism-related and the public sector. The workforce has internationally renowned skills in nuclear, naval shipbuilding and specialist engineering. However, Cumbria also has some of the most deprived wards in the UK, a dissipating and ageing population, and Gross Added Value (GVA) almost 25% below the national average.
The statistics in the table below provide an overview of the economy in Cumbria with comparisons to the North West and the UK. More detailed statistical summaries can be found via the menu on the left.
| Statistic | _ | Cumbria | North West | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land area | Hectares | 676,715 | 1,410,571 | 13,027,872 (Eng) |
Population 2007 | Total | 496,900 | 6,864,300 | 59,216,200 (GB) |
| Growth 2000-07 | 1.9% | 1.3% | 3.5% (GB) | |
| Density (ha pp) | 1.36 | 0.21 | 0.22 | |
Enterprises 2007 | Stock | 19,885 | 232,935 | 2301,225 |
| Births | 2,410 | 31,440 | 301,595 | |
| Deaths | 1,590 | 23,610 | 228,185 | |
| 5 Year survival | 49.7% | 44.8% | 44.9% | |
| Gross Value Added 2005 ONS | Total | £6,687m | £106,501m | £1,096,629m |
| Per head index | 76 | 87 | 100 | |
| Growth 2000-05 | 26% | 26% | 30% | |
| Workforce - March 2008 Annual Population Survey | Total workforce | 243,300 | 3,155,800 | 29,134,200 |
| Employees | 204,000 | 2,780,100 | 25,186,000 | |
| Self employed | 36,900 | 361,600 | 3,845,900 | |
| % in manufacturing | 18.1% | 14.8% | 12.7% | |
| % in services | 67.5% | 75.6% | 76.4% | |
| Gross Annual Earnings 2008 Annual Survey of Hours & Earnings | Male | £25,380 | £24,885 | £25,997 |
| Female | £13,595 | £15,407 | £15,619 | |
| Total | £18,453 | £19,866 | £20,801 | |
| Qualifications 2007 Annual Population Survey | Level 4+ | 25.4% | 25.4% | 28.5% |
| Level 3+ | 45.1% | 44.0% | 46.3% | |
| Economic Activity 2008 Annual Population Survey | Working age rate | 80.7% | 76.8% | 78.6% |
| Claimant Count - Nov 2008 ONS | Total | 5,902 | 137,636 | 1,056,145 |
| Rate | 2% | 3.2% | 2.8% | |
Incapacity Benefit May 2008 DWP | Working age rate | 7.8% | 9.3% | 7.0% (GB) |
| House Prices 2007 CLG/Land Registry | Mean | £168,006 | £159,892 | £219,804 (E&W) |