The town of Hatfield in Hertfordshire has a population of almost 30,000, and until the 1990s, it was heavily associated with manufacture and aircraft design, employing more people than any other industry. A large proportion of the old airfield site was taken over by the University of Hertfordshire, which now houses the £120m De Havilland Campus.
The main industries that provide local employment these days are IT services, scientific research and development, retail, and telecommunications. The most notable employers include Computacenter, Eisai, Tesco, Three Valleys Water Plc, Asda, Ocado, Mitsubishi Electric, East and North Herts NHS Trust, and T-Mobile, whilst Hatfield Business Park is home to many high-profile companies like Booker, Royal Mail, the Environment Agency, DHL, and Henkel.
Around 23% of the towns inhabitants are employed in the financial and business services, with 21% in public services, 20% in distribution, hotels and catering, and 16% in manufacturing. Recruitment agencies are regularly approached by companies seeking staff in these popular sectors.
A quarter of people are educated to degree level or higher, and the median full-time gross weekly wage is £575.60. However, a school leaver can expect to receive between £132 and £192 per week upon obtaining their first job.
