North/Central London

Barnet is the second largest populated London borough and is home to Barnet Football Club and large employers such as Middlesex University, Barnet & Southgate College and Public Health England. Largest employment sectors include business, professional and administrative services, retail, health and social care, and education. The borough also benefits from a relative strong real estate sector that accounts for 5% of all local jobs (more than twice the English average).

Enfield is London’s most northern borough bordering Hertfordshire and Essex. Its most populated areas include Edmonton, Enfield, Southgate and Palmers Green. Local jobs are mostly found in retail and the public sector including public administration, healthcare and education. Other relatively important employment sectors include construction and logistics, which both account for a larger share of jobs than national average. Enfield Council is the largest employer in the borough. Other large employers include food retailers and logistics companies. Employment in the area is highly reliant on the public sector - including public administration, healthcare and education - and on retail and wholesale.

Employment in Haringey's is strongly concentrated in retail, health and social care, education and hospitality. The borough has six town centres, Wood Green being the largest. Haringey's primary assets are its location and great transport links with access to over 40 bus routes and 3 underground lines and close proximity to Kings Cross - just 10 mins away - as well as the City or West End - 30 mins away. Haringey has been named London Borough of Culture 2027 which will create local opportunities in arts, leisure and recreation with community organisations and cultural spaces in the borough including Alexandra Palace, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Jacksons Lane and Bruce Castle Museum. The council expects working with around 600 local artists and partners.

Camden has the second highest number of businesses in London after Westminster and the third highest in the UK. Local jobs are mostly high-skilled jobs and two third of them are concentrated in the central London portion of Camden, to the south of Euston Road; a quarter of jobs are located in the central Camden Town, Euston, Regent’s Park and Somers Town areas; while the remainder of Camden's jobs (16%) are scattered across town centres and employment sites in north and west Camden, including Hampstead, Kentish Town and Swiss Cottage. 

Camden is renowned for its street markets, music venues, museums, theatres, London Zoo, Regent's Park and 681 acres of Hampstead Heath. It is also home to the Knowledge Quarter, an emerging Innovation District across King’s Cross and Euston with a cluster of higher education and research institutes and headquarters of global companies such as Google and pharmaceutical firm MSD. The borough counts 11 universities and higher education institutions and has the largest student population in London. Professional, scientific & technical services is the largest industry sector in Camden; it makes up 27% of enterprises and 20% of employment (more than twice the national average). The sector includes law firms, management consultancies, architectural and engineering practices, and organisations specialised in scientific research, marketing and advertising. The borough also has a very strong ICT sector, which accounts for 12% of employment, more than twice the national average. In years to come, the redevelopment of Euston station on the HS2 line will regenerate the area and could supercharge the growth of the life sciences and tech businesses based in and around Euston in London’s Knowledge Quarter.

Islington is located in the heart of London, adjacent to the City and close to the West End and Holborn. The borough has a thriving economy with a high density of jobs. Largest employment sectors are professional, scientific & technical activities (22%), ICT (15% of employee jobs which is more than three times the national average), administration and business support services (14%). Islington's retail and dining sectors have been found to be  resilient with high footfall supported by a well-connected transport network and Angel Central shopping centre. Islington has many restaurants, pubs, theatres, museums, cinemas and galleries. It is home to Upper Street shopping, Arsenal Football Club, Sadler's Wells and two London universities. Historical areas such as Clerkenwell and Barnsbury reflect the borough's past, while Silicon Roundabout is at the forefront of the UK's new technology and creative industries.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea benefits from a strong visitor economy with world class institutions and cultural attractions, a comprehensive retail and hospitality offer, as well as many embassies, strong creative and cultural industries and a cluster of real estate and head office businesses. Each day 87,000 people come into the borough to work. In addition, 55,000 visitors travel here every day to enjoy the cultural attractions.The borough is home to many art galleries and to London's museum quarter with famous attractions including the Natutal History Museum, the Science Museum, V&A and the Design Museum. Large annual events such as the Chelsea Flower Show and the Notting Hill Carnival support the local economy. The borough's extensive retail and hospitality industries consist of 2,600 shops including Harrods and Harvey Nichols, 430 restaurants and 155 hotels. Nearly half of all visitor spend is in shopping districts such as Portobello Road, Knightsbridge, Kings Road and small boutiques. Largest employment sectors include retail, hospitality, healthcare and ICT. The borough has an important media and entertainment sector which offers jobs in publishing, broadcasting and recording.

The City of Westminster occupies much of the central area of Greater London. It is home to many of London’s most renowned sites, including St James’s Palace, Buckingham Place, the Houses of Parliament and 10 Downing Street. It is also where you will find the London’s most famous shopping areas on Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Bond Street. Two thirds of the 789,000 employee jobs in Westminster are located in just two of its electoral wards, St James and the West End. Professional, scientific & technical activities, hospitality, government services and ICT are the dominant employment sectors. Key employers in the borough include British Land, Grosvenor, King's College London, London Zoo, Microsoft, NHS Imperial Healthcare Trust, Octavia, The Crown Estate and Westminster City Council.

The City of London is the business district right at the centre of London. It’s often referred to as the Square Mile. Over 615,000 people worked here in 2022. Employment is highly concentrated in banking and finance, and in professional services including law, management consultancy and accountancy.The City is home to one of the youngest, most highly skilled and international workforces of the country.

Southwark is home to London Bridge Station, the Shard, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and Borough Market. Dulwich Picture Gallery and the Imperial War Museum are also within the borough. Southwark's economy is growing faster than the rest of London and the UK as a whole driven by business services, ICT and professional, scientific and technical services, which are the largest employment sectors. Large employers in the borough include Southwark Council, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, Great Portland Estates, Landsec and the Hyde Group.

Last update: 7 November 2024