Hastings is a large seaside town on the coast of East Sussex. It gives its name to the Battle of Hastings (which actually happened several miles away in the town of Battle) and was a popular seaside resort for well-to-do Victorian Londoners.
The town has a population of around 90,000 and an overall unemployment rate of 8.9%. Of those who are in employment, over 10% are self-employed. Hastings also has a large student population.
In terms of education, more than a quarter of the population of Hastings has qualifications of NVQ4 or higher. The majority " 81.1% in 2011 " have attained no more than NVQ1. There are several recruitment agencies in Hastings, serving blue-collar and white-collar staff. The median earnings for a full-time worker living in Hastings is £419.30. This is slightly higher for men - £435.30 " and lower for women - £397.70. Full-time employees constitute around two-thirds of Hastings working population.
The service sector dominates the recruitment landscape in Hastings, over a quarter of which is in the public admin, education and health category. Manufacturing accounted for around 10% of all employee jobs in 2008, while tourism " historically a key part of the towns economy " is no longer a particularly strong sector.