Cities for finding work

Forever

I'm just playing with some ideas.

If you were to move to a city in the UK where you wanted to find work quickly (office temp, hospitality, anything really), and keep a roof over your head as a renter, which of these cities would you go to:

- Southampton
- London
- Leeds
- Manchester

- somewhere else?

[Deleted User]

There's always work in London. However, the rent will hardly be worth it. I'd be looking at Leeds/Manchester if you didn't have a reasonably decent salary coming in.

motorguy

+1

Rent and cost of living is daft in and around London.

I'm contracting in Manchester at the minute. Cant comment on the availability of jobs but it seems cheap enough for rent and eating out.

DKLS

Leeds or Manchester out of that list, unless you work in a sector like mine where there is a massive pay difference between North n South salaries.

Andypandyboy

Lots of rentals in Leeds and Manchester due to student populaton, but the quality is often aimed at students!

HappyMJ

Forever wrote: »

I'm just playing with some ideas.

If you were to move to a city in the UK where you wanted to find work quickly (office temp, hospitality, anything really), and keep a roof over your head as a renter, which of these cities would you go to:

- Southampton
- London
- Leeds
- Manchester

- somewhere else?

I can comment on London. I lived and worked in London for some time. It's very easy to find work but the cost of living is high. The wages an unskilled person would get are higher but you wouldn't be left with much.

Manchester was cheap to live in but you're competing with students who tend to take quite a lot of the unskilled work so it was difficult finding work. I ended up leaving after 2 weeks with no prospect of success.

I've worked in Birmingham which if you're willing to commute to has plenty of affordable places to live nearby and there is also a lot of work available.

I would say pick somewhere that doesn't have a particularly large student population and you should find it easier finding unskilled work.

Malthusian

I lived in Southampton and lived very well on a modest budget. That was 13 years ago but I had a look on Rightmove and rents still look very reasonable. It should be perfectly possible to keep a roof over your head. Lifestyle-wise you've got the New Forest on your doorstep, the ferry to the Isle of Wight, all that nice harbourside area, loads of good pubs. (According to Google reviews they still dance on the tables in the Frog and Frigate. Nice to know some things don't change.) Difficult to comment on the job market but if temping / hospitality is what you're looking for I can't imagine it would be more difficult than anywhere else.

If those were my choices I would be tempted by Manchester or Leeds simply for a change of scenery, but thinking about it has made me nostalgic for Southampton now.

Forever

I think I have whittled it down to either Leeds or Southampton now.

Southampton appeals more, but Leeds rentals look slightly cheaper, so financially better if I can't find work for a number of weeks.

Thank you very much everyone. Any further feedback would be welcomed.

[Deleted User]

You might want to visit the place before you choose to move there for work

HappyMJ

Forever wrote: »

I think I have whittled it down to either Leeds or Southampton now.

Southampton appeals more, but Leeds rentals look slightly cheaper, so financially better if I can't find work for a number of weeks.

Thank you very much everyone. Any further feedback would be welcomed.

You'll need a job before you get a rental property.

You can stay in temporary accommodation such as hostels until you find yourself a job and then find a rental property.

YHA hostels are quite cheap and you can stay quite a while. One of them is open from July to September when the students are away which would be ideal for you.

Forever

Thanks for the feedback.

I have already been to these cities, so I know I like both of them. I have money to pay for a flat/house share (or a studio) upfront.

I am going to be looking for a decent job, but in this climate, I think it will take time. So I am hoping to find unskilled work in the meantime to make ends meet.

Leeds has more decent jobs on offer, and slightly lower rents. But Southampton has the bonus of being by the sea, and having slightly better weather.

Edit: as for Birmingham, I haven't really considered it as I know it's not a mecca for the decent types of jobs that I am looking for long-term. However, I might investigate that option a bit further if there is a decent amount of unskilled work available. Thanks for mentioning it.