Fermanagh and Omagh tops a list of UK regions dominated by just one industry, according to latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, highlighting the huge reliance on agriculture in some areas of Northern Ireland.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing account for 40.3% of businesses in the area, the highest single percentage of all UK regions. It is closely followed by Orkney Islands in second place with 37.07% and Shetland Islands with 37.04. Meanwhile, Mid Ulster also makes it into the top 10, with 31.58%.
The agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry was the most common industry for businesses, with seven entries in the top 10 and 22 in the top 50. Other notable dominant industries included the professional, scientific, and technical industry, which accounts for 31.17% of the City of London’s business, and the construction industry.
The study was conducted using ONS data by the School of Marketing, a marketing training firm aimed at apprentices.
Its chief executive Ritchie Mehta, said the data shines a light on the makeup of the UK’s regional economies.
“It’s fascinating to see the variety all around in these results, with areas from all around the UK making their way into the list,” he said. “This data shows that some industries really dominate in certain areas of the UK, however that doesn’t mean there’s only one type of job available, as there can be a huge variety of roles within a business sector.
“When it comes to skills, there are some common themes that employers are looking for across a range of jobs, however in the current climate, budgets for training are likely to be cut, and the skills gap could widen. SME owners can take advantage of the Apprenticeship Levy scheme to bring in new staff or train current ones in digital and data-led programmes, with the vast majority of the training cost covered by the levy.”
The UK areas most dominated by one industry
| Rank | UK region |
Industry |
%of all businesses |
1 |
Fermanagh and Omagh |
Agriculture, forestry & fishing |
40.30% |
2 |
Orkney Islands |
Agriculture, forestry & fishing |
37.07% |
3 |
Shetland Islands |
Agriculture, forestry & fishing |
37.04% |
4 |
Powys |
Agriculture, forestry & fishing |
34.15% |
5 |
Bromsgrove |
Business administration & support services |
32.43% |
6 |
Mid Ulster |
Agriculture, forestry & fishing |
31.58% |
7 |
Eden |
Agriculture, forestry & fishing |
31.36% |
8 |
Torridge |
Agriculture, forestry & fishing |
31.20% |
9 |
City of London |
Professional, scientific & technical services |
31.17% |
10 |
Wellingborough |
Arts, entertainment, recreation & other services |
30.99% |
