In the increasingly globalised world we live in, it has become common for professionals to relocate to a new city in search of better career opportunities. There are many factors that need to be considered when choosing a new home base, but over the years, a number of UK cities have profiled themselves as the best destinations for working professionals. Career opportunities and good quality of life are no longer centralised in or around London, so take a look at our list of the top British cities to live and work in and at everything they have to offer.

Milton Keynes

Due to its proximity to London and to its excellent business infrastructure, Milton Keynes is considered one of the most desirable destinations for working professionals. This Buckinghamshire city creates over 5,000 new jobs every year, and according to the Milton Keynes Intelligence Observatory, the city has one of the UK’s lowest unemployment rates (2.6 per cent in April 2014). The private sector dominates the local labour market, as there are over 116,000 private sector employees versus 30,600 in the public sector. Milton Keynes also boasts a highly qualified and skilled workforce. The city ranks high in terms of its healthy business environment, presence of multinational companies, and average weekly earnings too.

Aldershot

Despite its relatively small population, this Hampshire city has been climbing the ranks of the top UK cities to live and work due to its excellent ratings in aspects like employment equality, average earnings, business start up rates, and overall life satisfaction. Aldershot seems to attract large numbers of entrepreneurs, mostly thanks to its low business churn rate. The number of jobs available in the private sector has been growing steadily over the past few years, having experienced growth rates of over 9 per cent in 2012. Affordable housing and great transportation links with London and with the rest of the South East are other important factors that attract professionals and entrepreneurs to the city.

Cambridge

The UK Job Market Report for January 2014 listed Cambridge as the best British city to find a job. This university town has been capitalising on its academic excellence and research capabilities for a long time in order to expand its economic base, which now relies in high-value industries, such as bio-technology, electronic engineering, aerospace, and pharmaceuticals. According to the most recent Centre for Cities report, Cambridge has one of the highest numbers of business start-ups in the country, particularly in the tech sector. Employment rates grew by 8.3 per cent in 2012, and the city has a well-balanced ratio of private vs public sector employment.

Reading

During many years Reading was a hub for commuters who travelled to and from work between this Berkshire town and London. Nowadays, Reading is an important employment centre in its own right. According to a survey carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2013, Reading tops the list of most successful cities in terms of its economy and the employment opportunities it offers. Reading has been chosen by many professionals due to the varied range of opportunities available across sectors as different from each other as finance, retail, and software development. Employees based in Reading also cited job security and good future career prospects as the main reasons to continue working in the city. Other positive indicators include having England’s second highest average earnings (£594 per week), top-of-the-range business facilities and affordable office workspace, a highly qualified workforce, and excellent creativity rankings.

Worthing

Not many people would expect to find Worthing in this list, but the truth is that in recent years this West Sussex town has transformed its economic base substantially, to the point of having one of the lowest percentages of unemployed individuals of the region. The local council has launched a number of initiatives with the objective of attracting further investment to Worthing and of creating more jobs in the private sector, mainly in industries like retail and tourism. At £491 a week, average weekly earnings in Worthing are considerably higher than they are in other towns with a similar population. In addition, housing prices remain affordable, the percentage of residents with no qualifications is very low, and there is a large number of patents being granted on an annual basis. All these factors combined position Worthing as a desirable location to live and work.