This article was written by Western Morning News and published on DevonLive.com. 

5,900 jobs were created in Exeter between 2013 and 2016.

Exeter is in the top five cities in the UK for job creation, new figures have revealed.

The UK Powerhouse report, produced by law firm Irwin Mitchell alongside the Centre for Business and Economic research, provides an estimate of the value of goods and services produced and annual job growth of 45 of the UK’s largest cities, 12 months ahead of the Government’s official figures. Exeter sees an annual change of 1.5 per cent when it comes to employment, putting it as fourth in the UK.

It also revealed the growing importance that the banking, finance and insurance sector has on the city, revealing that 5,900 jobs were created between 2013 and 2016.

The report also predicts that Exeter’s city economy will grow by 18.1 per cent over the next 10 years whilst employment will grow by 9.4 per cent during the same period.

Jack Coy, economist at Cebr, said: “Despite the UK-level economic slowdown over the first quarter, it is good to see some bright sparks in local economies across the country.

“In particular, the best performing cities have benefited from a combination of cutting-edge, productive industries and high-skilled workforces.”