Leeds Takes the Lead Over Manchester Before Roses Derby Kickoff

Kick-off is still days away, but another contest between Leeds and Manchester is already on the horizon: Leeds is pulling ahead of Manchester in the race for talent.

According to new research from Employment Hero and Savanta, the rivalry between the two cities runs well beyond Elland Road. 

The survey of 1,500 workers and 500 small business decision-makers in Leeds and Manchester shows six in 10 people (61%) working in Leeds moved to the city from elsewhere, compared with half (52%) in Manchester.

It’s an experience that Lucas Radebe, the former Leeds United captain, knows all too well. Having relocated from South Africa in 1994, he understands the pull to the city.

“I came to Leeds from the other side of the world, and the city gave me the chance to grow, to lead and to build my career here. I never felt I had to go anywhere else to do that,” he said.

“It’s great to see so many people making the same choice today, coming to Leeds for their careers and staying because they can grow here. People used to leave Leeds to make it. Now they come here to make it.”

Who Is Moving to Leeds, and Why

Some 41% of workers moved to the city at least partly for a job or career. Among women working in Leeds, 39% moved for work, compared with 31% of women in Manchester. Of everyone who came for work, 86% say they have made progress in their careers over the past two years.

Hiring is rising too. Employment Hero’s payroll figures show employment at Leeds small businesses up 12.1% in the three months to September, around five times Manchester’s 2.4%. Looking ahead, 58% of small businesses in the city expect to add staff over the next year.

Why People Stay

Leeds is not only drawing people in; many of its workers are choosing to stay. In Leeds, 43% have passed on or not chased a job elsewhere in order to remain in the city, and 61% would sooner stay on what they earn now than move for a bigger pay cheque. Of those who had seriously thought about leaving but didn’t, friends and family topped the list of reasons, at 35%.

Early-Career Workers Are the Weak Spot

Younger workers are less settled. Among Leeds workers early in their careers, 44% have given serious thought to leaving for a career opportunity over the last two years. In Manchester the figure is 26%.

Michael Mitchell, VP of Sales, UK, at Employment Hero, was born and raised in Leeds and has watched the city change. He said it was encouraging to see the research show “so many people choosing to come here, build their careers and put down roots”. “Now that I have children, I’m confident they’ll have even more opportunities growing up here than I did,” he said. “But we can’t take that for granted.”

Leeds v Manchester: The Full-Time Scorecard

In the more than 100 years since the two clubs first met at Old Trafford, in a goalless Second Division draw in January 1923, the Roses rivalry has often spilled into other arenas, in this case, the world of work.

On the four head-to-head figures in the research, Leeds leads on three. It has the bigger share of workers who moved in (61% against 52%), the bigger share of women who moved for work (39% against 31%) and the faster growth in small business employment (12.1% against 2.4%). Manchester has the edge on keeping early-career workers: 26% there have seriously considered leaving, against 44% in Leeds.

The other contest kicks off at 2pm on Sunday 18 October at Elland Road, live on Sky Sports.