Engineering adds more than an estimated £44bn to Yorkshire's economy annually

Engineering businesses across the Yorkshire region add an estimated £44bn to the local economy annually and employ over half a million people, according to a new study.

The research, commissioned by the Royal Academy of Engineering, found that more than half a million people are employed in the engineering economy, across almost 49,000 engineering businesses, in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The profession generates more than £44bn gross value added (GVA) for the region annually and up to an estimated £645bn GVA to the UK’s economy annually, equivalent to 32 per cent of the country’s economic output.

Over 166,000 of the region’s engineers (166,683) are employed in other industries.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, more than half a million people are employed in the engineering economy. Picture: ADOBE STOCK

On average, the annual economic output generated from an engineering job is estimated to be 23 per cent higher than the average job in the UK.

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, chief executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “Yorkshire and the Humber has been in the past synonymous with coal mining. Today, its involvement in engineering spans across various sectors and industries – from healthcare, to maritime engineering, to broadband communications, and of course, energy and steel production.”

She added: “We want to celebrate the UK’s engineers, in Yorkshire and the Humber as well as across the country, and showcase how they are improving our lives for the better. This new research emphasises the economic impact of the sector right across the UK, revealing how important engineering is for employment and prosperity in a wide range of regions.

"Through their work in these regions, these engineers will also be improving healthcare, providing secure and sustainable energy and contributing towards a sustainable and equitable future for people across the UK and beyond. Put simply, they are playing a vital role in tackling the problems we face today and improving our lives for tomorrow. However, if the profession is to continue to drive change, we need more people from a wider range of backgrounds to choose engineering.”

The research, released on National Engineering Day, is part of a wider piece of work, “Engineering, Economy & Place,” due to be published later this year by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Metro Dynamics.