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iwoca’s annual ‘Top 25 Towns & Cities for SME Jobs’ list, which ranks areas using ONS data on average wage, commute, job density, house price and growth of the number of a small-medium sixed businesses, found that in 2023, Glasgow, Salford and Liverpool are the top three areas to consider if you want to work for a small business.

Preston entered the top 25 list for the first time, ranking 9th due to its high scores in commuting time, being a short 29 minutes, and its job density of 1.08 – this means the number of jobs per resident of working age.

The average hourly pay in Preston was also found to be £17.48, the average house price £160,000 and the city’s SME growth between 2017-22 was 10.92%.

Preston has been named the 9th best city to work for a small/medium sized business according to iwoca.

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Nearby Blackburn with Darwen came in fourth place, climbing 13 places and ranking highly for its short average commuting time and SME growth.

Another North West entry, Warrington takes the fifth place, whilst Manchester, which secured last year’s second place, dropped to 16th.

Greater London failed to feature in the top 25 list for the second time. While enjoying a high hourly wage, Londoners face among the highest house prices in the UK with median house price of £582,289, and a typical daily commute of 40 minutes.

Colin Goldstein, iwoca’s Commercial Growth Director

Colin Goldstein, Commercial Growth Director at iwoca, said: “SMEs both nationally and locally, are creating thousands of jobs and providing the goods and services that keep Britain ticking. Job seekers looking for a fulfilling, dynamic career should consider looking beyond large corporations and to the SMEs in communities right across the UK. It is fantastic to see a wide geographical spread in our top 25 list this year, highlighting the range of thriving towns and cities that best support SMEs and their employees.”

See the full rankings below:

1-Glasgow City

2-Salford

3-Liverpool

4-Blackburn with Darwen

5-Warrington

6-Southampton

7-Newcastle upon Tyne

8-Ipswich

9-Preston

10-Cardiff

11-Slough

12-Darlington

13-Kingston upon Hull

14-Worcester

15-Nottingham

16-Manchester

17-Dartford

18-Dundee City

19-Peterborough

20-Stoke-on-Trent

21-Portsmouth

22-Swansea

23-Crawley

24-Derby

25Exeter

Preston small businesses: Preston joins iwoca's 'Top 25 Towns & Cities for SME Jobs' list for the first time