The only island city in the UK, Portsmouth is in Hampshire County south west of London, and home to a population of 205,000. Colloquially known as Pompey, Portsmouth has a relatively large working class population and a low unemployment rate of 3.6%. As with much of the UK, the public sector here provides work for roughly one-third of the local workforce, and the city council is one of the area's largest employers. But unlike most of the nation, the manufacturing industry continues to prosper in Portsmouth. With numerous industry leaders basing operations here - including BAE Systems, Brittany Ferries, Raymarine, and EADS - Portsmouth is a major producer of ships, aerospace, and defence systems. Because of its strategically important location, about 20,000 military personnel work here, mostly in the Royal Navy.
With the fourth largest economy in the South East, Portsmouth staffs about 20% of its workforce in the finance and IT sector and another 25% in hotel and restaurant positions. Tourism is an important source of wealth for the area, and Plymouth's recruitment agencies see a consistently high demand for new employees in leisure-related positions. In 2012, median weekly income was at an especially high £520.10.
