About the data
Devon’s employment is weighted towards the retail, tourism and health sectors, between them accounting for almost 44% of employment in the county. However, these sectors are traditionally less productive and the high employment in these industries partially explains the productivity gap Devon faces. The more productive sectors such as Finance & Insurance and Professional, Scientific & Technical are only 43% and 69% of the national average, a deficit which is made up by sectors such as Construction and Accommodation & Food which are 40% bigger than they are nationally. Hosting almost twice the employment of Teignbridge, the next largest district, Exeter is the biggest employer in Devon with 95,000 employees, driven by large inward commuting to Devon’s main urban area.