Working in Northampton

With a legacy as a shoe and leather manufacturing hub, Northampton’s economy has continued to develop, and the town now serves as a key retail and market centre for the Northamptonshire county. The town was also recently awarded a substantial grant for economic regeneration, so newcomers working in Northampton can expect a booming and welcoming employment market.

Job market in Northampton

While Northampton has moved away from the once-prosperous shoe and leather manufacturing business, industry continues to play a big role in the town’s economy, as advanced steel and food manufacturing are some of Northampton’s biggest employers. Thanks to the 20 million tourists who visit the Northamptonshire county annually as well as the quaint markets sprinkled throughout Northampton, hospitality and service-related industries are also key areas of growth. Northampton is a key hub for the food and drink industry, and is home to many well-known brands including Weetabix, Premier Foods, PepsiCo, Coca Cola, Red Bull, Müller, Schweppes and Carlsberg. 

Northampton has consistently been voted the best town in the UK for business creation, so there is also a healthy start-up culture in the town that offers plenty of opportunity for enterprising newcomers. Other major employment sectors include financial services and logistics.

Work culture in Northampton

The work culture in Northampton is similar to the rest of the UK in that diplomacy and punctuality are essential to building productive business and work relationships. Generally, though, the work culture and business attire is different across industries, with sectors such as finance proving more formal while the creative and media industry is typically more relaxed.

While humour is an important part of the work culture in the UK, newcomers should ensure they still respect the authority of their senior managers.

Socialising with colleagues after work or at the weekend is also customary in Northampton, and this often leads to an overall agreeable work environment.

See more information on doing business in the UK.