Jessica BirdGreater London accounts for 13.9% of the UK’s average 550,000 monthly Google searches for the term ‘jobs near me’, equivalent to around 76,450 searches per month, according to research by Plus500.
The study analysed regional search behaviour across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, highlighting significant differences in employment engagement and the dominance of major urban economies.
The capital’s share was more than double that of the second-ranked region, the West Midlands, which represented 6.10% of searches, or around 33,550 per month.
Greater Manchester accounted for 4.40% (24,200 searches), while West Yorkshire, covering Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield, contributed 3.80% (20,900 searches).
Kent ranked fifth, accounting for 3.70% of national searches, or around 20,350 per month. Together, the top five regions made up more than 31% of all UK searches for ‘jobs near me’.
The data also shows that the City of London contributes a further 0.30% of searches, equivalent to 1,650 per month, reflecting the concentration of employment within the Square Mile.
Elsewhere in the North West, Lancashire accounted for 2.50% of searches (13,750 per month), while Merseyside represents 1.80% (9,900 searches).
Tyne and Wear contributed 2% of total queries, or around 11,000 per month.
Across the South East, Kent’s 3.70% share was followed by Hampshire at 2.70% (14,850 searches), Essex at 2.60% (14,300 searches), Surrey at 1.60% (8,800 searches) and Hertfordshire at 1.40% (7,700 searches).
A number of mid-tier regions each account for between 1% and 2% of national searches. Norfolk and Staffordshire each represent 1.70% (9,350 searches), while South Yorkshire accounts for 1.60% (8,800 searches).
Derbyshire, County Durham, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire each make up 1.50% (8,250 searches).
In Scotland, the City of Glasgow accounts for 0.90% of searches (4,950 per month), followed by the City of Edinburgh at 0.50% (2,750).
In Wales, Glamorgan represents 0.60% (3,300 searches), while in Northern Ireland the City of Belfast accounts for 0.20% (1,100 searches), with Londonderry and Tyrone each at 0.10% (550 searches).
At the lower end of the table, areas including the Isle of Wight, Londonderry, Tyrone, the City of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Dumfriesshire, Dunbartonshire, the City of Dundee, Midlothian and Wrexham each account for 0.10% of searches, or around 550 per month.
Plus500 said the findings underline the concentration of job search activity in large metropolitan areas, particularly London, where high staff turnover, a large commuter base and a service-led economy continue to drive employment mobility.
