‘Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough.
It isn’t fit for humans now,
There isn’t grass to graze a cow.
Swarm over, Death.’
Unbelievably, Slough, the industrial Berkshire town that poet John Betjeman obviously hated, and that smells of Mars Bars, has just been named the best place to work in the UK for the second year running.
Located on the western fringes of Greater London, Slough has just topped the list compiled by job and recruiting site Glassdoor, and was awarded the title based on three factors: cost of living, hiring opportunity and job satisfaction.
In 2018, there were 22,131 job openings in Slough with a median base salary of £29,500. Job satisfaction was ranked at 3.4 (about the average for the whole of the UK), and the median home value sits at £391,218.
Glassdoor’s Economic Research Analyst, Amanda Stansell, said in a statement: “Slough is now firmly established as one of the best areas in the UK to work, because of its consistently high employee satisfaction and job opportunities relative to its population. It is also home to a huge range of employers. With plans now agreed for Heathrow’s third runway and the new Crossrail in 2019, its growth potential is very positive.”
She added: “While several of the towns and cities highlighted in this report may be surprising, many are experiencing growing local economies, complete with a healthy dose of new job prospects and strong home affordability.”
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Comparatively to Slough, London would be 52 on the list. Glassdoor said in a statement: “People in London are in fact generally ‘satisfied’ and the capital city will always have the largest amount of jobs available (plus high average salaries).
“However, this doesn’t tell the whole story, when it comes to availability of good jobs, ratio of candidates per job, house price levels and general cost of living, London really suffers.”
Last year, Manchester took the second spot on the list but has dropped down to number seven this year as Gloucester was named as runner up for the best place to work in the UK.
You can see the complete top 25 list below.
Slough
Glassdoor Town & City Score (out of 5): 4.3
Job Openings: 22,131
Median Base Salary: £29,500
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.4
Median Home Value: £391,218
Hot Jobs: Project Manager, Customer Service Advisor, Recruitment Consultant
Gloucester
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 4.2
Job Openings: 14,626
Median Base Salary: £24,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.5
Median Home Value: £239,054
Hot Jobs: Software Engineer, Account Manager, Quantity Surveyor
Cambridge
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 4.1
Job Openings: 17,145
Median Base Salary: £30,464
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.6
Median Home Value: £464,852
Hot Jobs: Software Engineer, Electronics Engineer, Maintenance Engineer
Reading
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 4.0
Job Openings: 20,601
Median Base Salary: £30,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.5
Median Home Value: £432,241
Hot Jobs: Recruitment Consultant, Delivery Driver, Site Manager
Guildford
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 4.0
Job Openings: 21,561
Median Base Salary: £27,500
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.4
Median Home Value: £593,761
Hot Jobs: Sales Executive, Administrator, Chef
Stoke-on-Trent
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 4.0
Job Openings: 12,297
Median Base Salary: £22,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.3
Median Home Value: £148,844
Hot Jobs: Maintenance Engineer, Registered Nurse, Project Manager
Manchester
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 4.0
Job Openings: 35,369
Median Base Salary: £23,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.5
Median Home Value: £187,983
Hot Jobs: Business Development Manager, Software Developer, Social Worker
Derby
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.8
Job Openings: 10,784
Median Base Salary: £25,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.5
Median Home Value: £203,389
Hot Jobs: Management Accountant, Account Manager, Security Officer
Bolton
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.7
Job Openings: 9,131
Median Base Salary: £20,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.6
Median Home Value: £162,694
Hot Jobs: Customer Service Advisor, Sales Manager, Web Developer
Chelmsford
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.7
Job Openings: 20,803
Median Base Salary: £20,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.2
Median Home Value: £389,412
Hot Jobs: Business Analyst, Sales Assistant, Chef
Oxford
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.7
Job Openings: 15,515
Median Base Salary: £28,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.4
Median Home Value: £493,058
Hot Jobs: Architect, Software Engineer, Site Manager
Blackburn
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.6
Job Openings: 3,685
Median Base Salary: £18,500
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.4
Median Home Value: £144,555
Hot Jobs: Maintenance Engineer, Operations Manager, Welder
Swindon
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.6
Job Openings: 9,798
Median Base Salary: £30,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.2
Median Home Value: £257,804
Hot Jobs: Business Analyst, Sales Executive, Registered Nurse
Nottingham
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.6
Job Openings: 11,910
Median Base Salary: £23,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.4
Median Home Value: £199,162
Hot Jobs: Site Manager, Recruitment Consultant, Marketing Manager
Birmingham
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.6
Job Openings: 40,019
Median Base Salary: £24,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.3
Median Home Value: £199,365
Hot Jobs: Design Engineer, Sales Manager, HR Advisor
Coventry
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.6
Job Openings: 11,632
Median Base Salary: £24,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.4
Median Home Value: £210,177
Hot Jobs: Service Engineer, Teacher, Recruiter
Belfast
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.6
Job Openings: 8,308
Median Base Salary: £20,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.2
Median Home Value: £155,788
Hot Jobs: Java Developer, Tutor, Support Analyst
Leeds
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.6
Job Openings: 32,646
Median Base Salary: £22,434
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.4
Median Home Value: £214,588
Hot Jobs: Financial Analyst, Web Developer, Delivery Driver
Liverpool
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.5
Job Openings: 16,292
Median Base Salary: £19,200
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.3
Median Home Value: £173,967
Hot Jobs: Project Manager, Customer Service Advisor, Social Worker
Norwich
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.5
Job Openings: 8,891
Median Base Salary: £21,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.4
Median Home Value: £274,999
Hot Jobs: Sales Executive, Delivery Driver, Software Engineer
Southampton
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.5
Job Openings: 14,435
Median Base Salary: £24,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.4
Median Home Value: £291,742
Hot Jobs: Maintenance Engineer, Sales Assistant, Sous Chef
Bristol
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.5
Job Openings: 27,301
Median Base Salary: £24,500
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.5
Median Home Value: £325,790
Hot Jobs: Software Engineer, Graphic Designer, Accountant
Aberdeen
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.5
Job Openings: 4,439
Median Base Salary: £27,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.2
Median Home Value: £211,356
Hot Jobs: Field Engineer, Business Development Manager, Tutor
Preston
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.5
Job Openings: 4,569
Median Base Salary: £19,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.5
Median Home Value: £187,557
Hot Jobs: Net Developer, Nurse, Sales Executive
Falkirk
Glassdoor Town & City Score: 3.5
Job Openings: 3,140
Median Base Salary: £18,000
Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.3
Median Home Value: £149,111
Hot Jobs: Production Operator, Bus Driver, Catering Assistant
