Service industries accounted for just over 72% of all employment in 2020. This is notably lower than the national average of just over 80%, largely attributable to the relative significance of manufacturing in Somerset, which in 2020 accounted for 12.7% of all employment (28,528 FTEs) compared to the national average of 10%.

Please Note: Proportions of employment reported here are based on full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs and therefore do not represent the number of jobs in each industry, which may be higher in some industries which have a higher propensity for part-time work.

The only industry that accounts for more employment in Somerset than manufacturing is Wholesale & Retail activities, which contributed 16% (31,409 FTEs) to all employment in 2020. Real estate activities were also the biggest industry nationally, though accounting for comparatively less employment at 13.3%. The third and fourth biggest industries for employment in Somerset in 2020 were Human health & social work activities (11.4%, or 25,587 FTEs), and Construction activities (9.4%, or 17,543 FTEs).