Leeds is the biggest jobs centre in Yorkshire, with major employers across health, education, finance, law, digital and the public sector. Here is where the opportunities are, and where to find them.
The big employers: Leeds Teaching Hospitals is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country; Leeds City Council and the city’s three universities — the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett and Leeds Trinity — each employ thousands. The city centre is also one of the UK’s largest financial and legal centres outside London, and the digital sector around Leeds Dock continues to grow — the new £6.5m Leeds Financial Innovation Exchange, led by the University of Leeds, aims to create more finance and fintech roles (see our earlier story).
Where to look: council vacancies are listed at jobs.leeds.gov.uk; NHS roles at NHS Jobs; the universities advertise on their own websites. For private sector roles, Indeed and LinkedIn carry most Leeds listings. School leavers and career changers can look at apprenticeships through Leeds City College and the national apprenticeship service, and the Leeds Employment Hub offers free one-to-one support with CVs, applications and interview skills.
Tip: many Leeds employers recruit in waves around the financial year and the academic calendar, so September and January are especially busy months for new postings.