Set 30 miles north of London in Hertfordshire known as one of the 'Home Counties', Stevenage is a 1960's New Town that experienced a huge population boom in the period immediately following the Second World War.
Stevenage is a town set firmly in the service based economy, as with much of the rest of the country, with 82.6% of all employment accounted for as such, which is about level with the rest of the UK. Both the Public Administration, Health, and Education sector and Financial and IT services sector are responsible for 24.8% of employment each in the area. British Aerospace used to be town's most significant employer, but that accolade now falls to GlaxoSmithKline which has a significant and highly important pharmaceutical research facility located in the Stevenage Industrial Area. Stevenage BioScience Catalyst is a much smaller employer than GSK, but is also located nearby with a fairly significant and specialist staff.
Manufacturing accounts for 12.7% of all employment in the town, which is marginally higher than the national average. In this sector, Astrium who manufacture spacecraft are a significant employer with a staff based in the local area. It is advisable to utilise the knowledge and expertise of a specialist recruitment agency either when advertising for a job opportunity or looking for such an opportunity in Stevenage.
