Controls on a Forklift Harlow Essex

Bordering London to the south-west and the North Sea to the east, the county of Essex is one of the UK's home counties and encompasses settlements such as Chelmsford, Harlow, Southend-on-Sea and Braintree. The county's proximity to the capital means that the area has a strong economy and local recruitment agencies will look to source staff for employers across a range of sectors.

Chelmsford is the only city in the county and has one of the greatest concentrations of recruitment agencies in Essex. Recruiters in Chelmsford, which is also the county town, are located mainly between the River Can and River Chelmer. To the north-east of Chelmsford is the county's largest settlement of Colchester and a high number of agencies also base themselves here. Although the market is dominated by multi-sector firms, Colchester is home to specialist employment companies within industries including Driving, Admin and Healthcare. The seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea is also a popular location for agencies, as are the towns of Harlow, Ilford and Billericay.

Economic overview and salaries

Essex has a population of 1, 432, 000 people and 727, 000 are considered economically active. The employment rate of the county is 76.4% and this is higher than the UK figure of 73.4%. Median gross weekly earnings for local residents is £574.90, with the largest pay being commanded by permanent workers that live in affluent areas such as Brentwood, Epping and Chigwell. These settlements also form part of the London commuter belt.

Key industries and employers

Recruitment agencies In Essex often recruit for Public Sector jobs, which account for the largest proportion of the county's workforce. The University of Essex and the NHS provide a range of employment openings, as does the British Army, which has one of its major UK bases in Colchester. The area's position in relation to the UK capital means it has profited from the rise in Financial industries. This provides hiring opportunities to professionals such as Accountants, Credit Controllers and Financial Analysts.

Elsewhere, London Southend Airport has boosted the economy after its expansion, while Stansted is another major airport in the district which employs more than 10, 000 staff. IT and Tourism are other key industries locally, with the latter resulting in a number of temporary and contract jobs.

If you wish to narrow down your search for a recruitment agency, please select from one of the towns below.