Reading has been named among the UK’s top 10 places “on the rise” in a new ranking highlighting areas with some of the country’s fastest-growing job markets.
The Berkshire town features in LinkedIn’s inaugural Cities on the Rise list, which identifies 10 emerging locations where hiring is accelerating, job opportunities are increasing and more workers are choosing to move. The ranking is based on LinkedIn data and focuses on urban areas with fewer than 1.5 million members.
Although titled “Cities on the Rise”, the list includes Reading despite it being a town rather than a city.
LinkedIn said Reading’s economy is expected to be the UK’s fastest-growing local economy between 2025 and 2028, citing forecasts from EY.
It said the town’s strong technology sector, home to major employers including Microsoft, Oracle and Virgin Media O2, has helped drive its growing labour market. LinkedIn also pointed to Reading’s proximity to London and the ongoing £750m Station Hill regeneration project as key reasons behind its inclusion.
According to the report, the top industries currently hiring in Reading are technology, IT services and media and telecommunications. Almost half of advertised roles are available on a hybrid basis, while average monthly rents stand at £1,382 and average house prices at £407,700.
Elsewhere in the top 10, LinkedIn highlighted Cheshire West and Chester for clean energy investment, Belfast for financial services and cybersecurity, and the Tyneside area for artificial intelligence and clean energy projects. Edinburgh, Sheffield, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds and Southampton also made the list, with each recognised for growth in sectors ranging from advanced manufacturing and financial services to maritime industries and space technology.
LinkedIn said the rankings were based on areas experiencing the strongest job market momentum, taking into account hiring growth, job postings and whether more professionals were moving into an area than leaving it.
