New figures from the Census shows the most common jobs in the borough and how most people are employed.

The 2021 Census includes one of the most comprehensive pictures of the work people do in England and Wales.

Office for National Statistics figures show Bolton residents were most commonly working as sales and retail assistants when the census was carried out in 2021, with 6,035 employees in the sector.

This is equivalent to one in 29 working-age people in the area – defined by the ONS as aged between 16 and 64.

Sales and retail assistants were followed by 4,260 people working as care workers and home carers, and 3,325 as warehouse operatives.

The figures further show around 13,285 Bolton residents were working in the broader category of managers, directors and senior officials in Bolton – the most highly skilled job category according to the ONS.

Meanwhile, 14,810 were working in so-called 'elementary' occupations, defined as requiring the least amount of education or training.

This means 8.3 per cent of the working-age population were in very low-skilled roles.

Bolton Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Akhtar Zaman, said: “The latest ONS figures reflect Bolton’s diverse economy which includes a wide variety of jobs for employees with differing levels of qualifications and experience.

“As a council, we are always working to bring more investment into the borough and create more opportunities for residents to secure long-term and fulfilling work.

“Our regeneration plans go beyond the physical transformation of our town and district centres and include an emphasis on investment, skills, and employment.

“The council also offers a number of support services for residents looking to learn new skills or find a new job.”

Ways in which Bolton people can access professional work in the borough:

  • Business Bolton works to support business start-ups and offers enterprise for residents interested in self-employment.
  • Business Bolton also supports established businesses to grow and attract investment.
  • The Digital, Employment and Skills Service offers free ESOL, Digital Inclusion, Employment and Skills Support across the Library Service.
  • The Team Bolton Skills and Employment Partnership matches employer recruitment needs with skills provision - partners include Bolton Council, DWP, local colleges, The University, Training and Apprenticeship Providers, CVS, Bolton Home and many more.
  • Connexions Young People and National Career Adult Services offer careers guidance, CV writing and job application support.
  • The council’s Workshop services supports job seekers to move into work.
  • The council organises regular events including job, careers and skills fairs.

Bury had similar statistics to Bolton.

Office for National Statistics figures show Bury residents were most commonly working as sales and retail assistants when the census was carried out in 2021, with 3,715 employees in the sector.

This is equivalent to one in 31 working-age people in the area – defined by the ONS as aged between 16 and 64.

This was followed by 2,650 people working as care workers and home carers, and 2,075 in other administrative occupations.

Across England and Wales, sales and retail jobs were the most common, with around 1.1 million workers, followed by more than 800,000 people employed in the care sector.

Research by the ONS suggests some jobs may be dying out across England and Wales – for instance, the age profile of typists and bookbinders is far older than those carrying out data entry and analysis.

There have been warnings in recent years certain jobs may be automated out of existence, as new technology simplifies repetitive tasks in both manual and office settings.

James Reed, chairman of the jobs website Reed.co.uk, said we have reasons to be optimistic about the future job market.

He said: "Sales professionals who can build genuine relationships, healthcare providers tending to the needs of our ageing population, and educators shaping young minds – these will continue to be popular and coveted vocations."

"While technology propels us forwards, this is not to say that our innate human qualities will become redundant in the pursuit of meaningful and important work," he added.

Julius Probst, labour economist at the recruitment service TotalJobs, says jobs in care will be crucial in the years to come, especially as they are difficult to automate.

He said: "Countries like the UK will experience a rapidly ageing population over the next two decades as the share of people aged 60 or above is going to increase substantially.

"These are tasks that robots will not be able to take over anytime soon.”

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno