Output (GVA)
The manufacturing industry is one of the largest contributors to economic output in Somerset and is of proportionally greater significance than is the case nationally. When we analyse figures specifically for the advanced engineering and manufacturing (AEM) sector, its proportional significance is even greater. In 2020 the AEM sector was worth £862m (GVA) and accounted for 7.9% of total economic output, more than double the 3.4% it contributes nationally. In South Somerset this is even more pronounced, where the contribution of AEM activities accounts for 18.3% of total economic output, more than four times the national average.
Employment (FTE)
AEM activities accounted for just over 13,072 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in Somerset in 2020, which is 5.8% of all employment in the county. This compared with a national average of just 3.4%. As with economic output, the employment contribution of AEM is much greater in South Somerset than in other districts, where it accounted for more than 8,633 jobs, 66% of all AEM jobs in Somerset. In fact, AEM accounts for 13.2% of all employment in the South Somerset, more than twice the Somerset average, and almost four times the national average. The AEM sector also contributed approximately 2,501 jobs in Somerset West and Taunton, 1,266 jobs in Sedgemoor and 673 jobs in Mendip.
Productivity (GVA/FTE)
Measured as GVA per FTE job, productivity in the AEM sector in Somerset is approximately £65,930. This is £5,720 higher than the national average for productivity in this sector.
Source: Economic Model for Somerset and the Heart of the South West (HotSW) Local Enterprise Partnership, 2022