Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton make up the Black Country.

The largest employment sectors in the Black Country area include retail and wholesale (86,000 jobs), health and social care (73,000 jobs), manufacturing (58,000 jobs) and business, financial and professional services (over 67,000 jobs).

The Black Country has a strong manufacturing base (13% of jobs compared to 8% in the UK) with high-growth priority sectors included advanced manufacturing, transport technologies, construction and building technologies, environmental technologies, and professional and business services. A long-standing history of innovation means that there are over 4,300 businesses in the area working at the cutting-edge of technology. Local strengths include motor vehicle, aerospace, metal fabrication, machinery and equipment, advanced materials and plastics. Metal production and maintenance fitters, design and development engineers, and maintenance engineers are in high demand. The Very Light Rail Innovation Centre being built in Dudley will create technical and engineering jobs.

Administration, business and professional services is the second largest employment sector in the Black Country and is set to grow over the next ten years. Over 67,000  people work in the sector in over 9,500 local companies that offer a wide range of services including accounting, financial and legal services, recruitment and employment services, administration support and back-office services, real estate, project management, marketing, commercial and technical support services. Employers in this sector are looking for people with a range of skills including advanced digital skills, communications, leadership and management skills.

Retail, wholesale and automotive vehicles trade account for 86,000 jobs across the Black Country. Dudley and Sandwell have recently benefited from government funding to regenerate the high street. Merry Hill has the largest shopping centre in the Midlands and is one of the English locations that reported the fastest bounce back in footfall. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of technology across the sector and there is growing demand for digital skills across all roles. 

The Black Country is also home to over 4,500 building technologies and construction businesses employing around 21,000 people. The sector is growing. 76,000 new homes are to be built in the Black Country over the next 20 years while retrofitting houses to improve energy efficiency and large-scale infrastructure projects will create many more jobs. The University of Wolverhampton is a national hub of excellence for construction and the built environment bringing together businesses and the education sector. The National Brownfield Institute opened on its Springfield Campus will become a key R&D centre in brownfield regeneration.

The local tourism, leisure and culture sector is made up of 2,220 organisations employing over 33,000 people with many more freelance workers. The Black Country has various sites of interest ranging from the Wren’s Nest National Nature Reserve to canal networks, caverns, museums and art galleries, Dudley castle, industrial structures, parklands and wildlife sites. Major attractions like the Black Country Living Museum and Dudley Zoo attract many visitors for days out. Almost 75% of employees working in the sector are employed in food and beverage services.

Over 120,000 residents work in the public sector across the Black Country in local government, fire service, the police force, the RAF, the health sector and education (42,000 jobs). The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has opened a new office in Wolverhampton. 250 staff will be based in the city by 2022 with over 500 jobs created by 2025. You can expect demand for senior civil servant jobs and highly qualified roles in policy development and planning.

Health and social care represent one of the largest sectors in the Black Country employing 73,000 people. Most people work in hospitals, social care and residential care. There are many job opportunities in the sector as nurses, social workers, care workers, care managers and roles in patient care are all in high demand.

Key Local Employers

The NHS is the main employer in the Black Country, followed by the four local authorities and the University of Wolverhampton. Other key local employers include: