The capital continues to attract top companies and talent across finance, tech, and creative industries, offering one of the highest job availability rates. However, despite strong earning potential, high living costs remain a significant challenge for workers.
Finding the right place to build a career isn’t just about landing a job – it also requires a thriving business environment and competitive salaries with good purchasing power in the local economy. So, which are Britain’s top-performing cities for jobs and work opportunities in 2025? To find out, CoworkingCafe analyzed Britain’s largest cities along metrics in three main categories: employment, business growth and housing affordability. The findings highlight a shifting dynamic in the work landscape, with mid-sized regional hubs emerging as top destinations for work, outperforming major urban centres.
Key takeaways for London
Thriving business environment: London ranks #2 nationwide for this category, driven by high total business density (85 active businesses with 10 or more employees/10.000 working-age residents, the sixth-highest density nationwide) and a strong high-growth enterprise presence (#3 nationwide), cementing its role as the UK’s economic powerhouse.
High job availability: With 115 job postings per 10,000 working-age residents, the capital offers some of the best employment opportunities in the country (#11).
Moderate employment rate: 75.9% of the working-age population is employed
Competitive salaries: The capital boasts the fifth-highest median annual earnings in the country, standing at £44,780, providing strong earning potential.
Affordability challenges: London remains one of the most expensive cities for workers, with rents consuming over 50% of the income and home prices averaging almost 13 times the median salary.
National and regional findings
Nationally, Winchester, Warwick, and Stafford take the top three spots. The South East and West Midlands lead Britain’s job market, with eight and four cities in the top 20, respectively, excelling in employment, business growth, and earnings.
Several neighbouring cities around London rank in the top 20, including Reading (#4), St Albans (#5), Guildford (#7), Crawley (#10), and Bracknell (#15), offering strong job markets with more affordable living options.
You can read the full study here: https://www.coworkingcafe.com/blog/best-cities-for-jobs-in-great-britain/.