Jobs, businesses in Durham on the rise

The recently-completed regional business count has found that Durham saw an increase in both jobs and businesses in 2016.

According to a report in the most recent council information package, the business count identified 193,630 jobs in the region, up from 177,563 the month before. The report attributes the increase to new businesses opening, existing businesses expanding and more businesses providing job numbers to the region.

Of the 2016 numbers, 125,621 are full-time, 55,862 are part-time and 12,147 are seasonal. The retail sector makes up the largest chunk of employment, accounting for 16 per cent of total jobs.

The report also notes a larger number of businesses in the region, citing a total of 13,506 in 2016, up from 13,354 in 2015. Of those 13,506, 12,220 are active while 1,286 are vacant.