The Smiths might once have sang “Manchester, Manchester, so much to answer for” but it seems there are few better places to set up a digital business, according to those companies which have made the city their home.
A new report commissioned by – you might have guessed it already – North West trade body Manchester Digital reveals that four in five professionals working in the digital sector in Manchester would recommend the city to their friends.
While 77% of respondents said they view Manchester as a digital hub, 63% stated they enjoy the range of networking events on offer in the sector.
In addition, the city is a popular location for relocators, particularly from London. An overwhelming majority (80%) of respondents have relocated to the Manchester from elsewhere, and of these, one in five have moved from London. Overall, 80% said they intend to stay in Manchester in the mid-term.
This follows Manchester being voted the most livable city in the UK for the second year running in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Livability Survey.
Commenting on the findings, Katie Gallagher, managing director at Manchester Digital, said: “Our new report has really confirmed what we at Manchester Digital, and lots of the professionals based here, already know about living and working in Manchester.
“We found that a huge number of people who work in the digital and technology industries have chosen to relocate to the city. And the pull isn’t just across the UK, we are attracting talent from Europe too. The fact that most people would recommend working here to a friend, and so many people believe it’s a brilliant place to launch a start-up, gives us hope that more and more skilled professionals will move here and work with us to continue to grow the region’s booming digital and tech sector.
“Ultimately, we want this report to encourage those people that might be considering a move, to relocate to Manchester and reap not just the professional benefits, but also the personal ones that this thriving city has to offer. We’re now inviting other businesses to get on board with our #RelocateMCR campaign and help us in attracting the top talent that the city needs to enable it to thrive.”
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