New figures released from the 2021 Census show the most common jobs in Bury.

The figures show that borough residents were most commonly employed as sales and retail assistants at the time of the census, with 3,715 employees in this sector.

This is equivalent to one in 31 working-age people in the area, defined as the Office of National Statistics as people aged 16 to 64.

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Sales and retail assistants were followed by 2,650 people working as care workers and home carers, and 2,075 in other administrative occupations.

Figures further show around 11,110 Bury residents were working in the broader category of managers, directors and senior officials in Bury – the most highly skilled job category according to the ONS.

Meanwhile, 7,960 were working in so-called "elementary" occupations, defined as requiring the least amount of education or training meaning 6.9 per cent of the working-age population were in very low-skilled jobs.

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Across England and Wales, sales and retail jobs were the most common, with around 1.1 million workers, followed by more than 800,000 people employed in the care sector.

James Reed, chairman of the jobs website Reed.co.uk, said we have reasons to be optimistic about the future job market.

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He said: “Sales professionals who can build genuine relationships, healthcare providers tending to the needs of our ageing population, and educators shaping young minds.

“These will continue to be popular and coveted vocations.

“While technology propels us forwards, this is not to say that our innate human qualities will become redundant in the pursuit of meaningful and important work.”

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