cardiff
cardiff
EmployEE
SurvEy
tranSport facilitiES buSinESSES Shopping culturE vibrant public pEoplE linkS clEanlinESS city StrEEtS wElSh capital grEEn infraStruturE nightlifE parking walEScommunity modErn dEvElopmEnt
friEndly rESidEntS traffic congEStion EmploymEnt invEStmEnt opportunitiES travEl cardiff buSinESS School cardiff buSinESS partnErShip
cardiff
Cardiff Business School is one of the leading business and management schools in the UK. In the most recent UK Government Research Assessment Exercise, it was ranked 4th in the UK for the quality of its research. 70% of the School’s research is considered to be internationally excellent or world leading. Its academics work with leading blue-chip, global businesses such as Tesco, Nestle, Hewlett Packard and Johnson & Johnson, and with international public sector and not-for-profit organisations such as the United Nations, International Labour Organisation and Department for Communities and Local Government. The School educates 2,600 students each year, delivering a broad portfolio of undergraduate, postgraduate and postgraduate research degrees.
The Cardiff Business Partnership (CBP)
consists of leading employers in the
Capital of Wales. Its mission is to
represent businesses in the Capital,
ensuring that the views of enterprise
are at the heart of the development
of Cardiff as a competitive global
location. The Partnership aims to
identify key issues facing the Capital’s
economy. Through its members, the
Partnership has the unique ability to
go beyond advocacy to action.
The Partnership also serves as a resource of expertise
and creative thinking for policy makers, media and
others concerned with taking forward the Cardiff and
Welsh economy. The Partnership seeks to influence
policy by presenting the views of leading businesses,
sponsoring research, and bringing together experts
and leaders in city development.
CBP and Cardiff Council have entered a collaborative
arrangement with Cardiff Business School, which
will spearhead leading research aimed at helping to
improve the competitiveness of Cardiff.
itS mEmbErS includE:
admiral
boomErang
frEShwatEr
grant thornton
hugh JamES SolicitorS
lEgal & gEnEral
mEdia walES
pricEwatErhouSEcoopErS
principality building SociEty
S a brain & co.
tata
tESco
3
The city of Cardiff has a
diverse economic base
and is a major regional
employer, drawing 70,000
people from outside the
city to work each day. This
survey examined the views
of employees within the
service sector: the sector
employs 167,800 people
and is of considerable
importance to the Welsh
economy. It is therefore
constructive to explore the
structure of the industry in
terms of its employees and
attempt to glean insight
into their thoughts on work
and the city.
This report presents the findings from a research project conducted by Cardiff Business School and Cardiff Business
Partnership. The project examined employees’ perceptions of Cardiff as a place to work and asked them what they wanted from the city in the future. Over 640 individuals responded to the survey of which the majority were employees from the Cardiff Business Partnership firms.
ExEcutivE Summary
moSt pEoplE wErE
attractEd to thE city by
‘thE Job itSElf’ but othEr
big attractionS arE thE
nightlifE and Shopping
facilitiES.
driving to work is By far the most Common method of transPort regardless of where PeoPle live. half of the resPondents would like to Be working for their Current emPloyer in Cardiff, But in a more senior Position, in 15 years'
time.
Congestion is a ConCern for those surveyed, with most seeing
City transPort infrastruCture as
a key investment need over the next
deCade. of those surveyed
want to keeP working in Cardiff
for at least the immediate future,
with over 65% indiCating that they wish to keeP working
in the City for the foreseeaBle future.
kEy
findingS
ababababab
ababababab
ababababab
ababababab
ababababab
ababababab
ababababab
ababababab
ababababab
ababa
babab
ababababab
ababababab
ababababab
ababababab
ababababab
ababababab
ababa
babab
ababababab
ababababab
ababababab
95
%
65
%
1
⁄
2
As the capital of Wales, Cardiff is seen as the economic powerhouse of the nation. The population of the greater Cardiff area, including the Vale of Glamorgan, grew at around 0.5% pa over the period 2002-09 and is projected to continue to grow at this rate until 2013. Cardiff’s growth has outpaced the rest of Wales and is expected to continue to do so for the next decade. One of the biggest group of respondents came from the financial services sector: in 2011, Cardiff has approximately 30,000 people employed in financial services and thousands more in business services. The businesses of Cardiff have seen a continual demand for labour which has outstripped local supply for many years. This has led to the growth of the Cardiff city region: over 70,000 people commute from the Valleys and further across South Wales to work in Cardiff each day.
This report summarises some key findings from a major survey of employees working in Cardiff. The research and analysis has been conducted by Cardiff Business School in conjunction with Cardiff Business Partnership. The survey is the first to look at how people feel about Cardiff as a place to work.
The primary finding from the research is that people report very positively on their employment and Cardiff as a city. The vast majority of respondents (95%) wanted to continue to work in Cardiff for at least the immediate future and over two-thirds (68%) indicated that they believed their longer-term futures were in Cardiff.
In the following pages we explore these findings in detail. In particular, we will look at what it is that people like about Cardiff and what they want to see the city invest in over the coming years. We also focus on the commuting patterns of respondents and how commuting workers from different parts of south east Wales had different opinions on the city's future direction and priorities.
introduction
walES
cardiff
population
all pEoplE agEd 16-64 (%) SErvicE SEctor
groSS wEEkly pay (£)
Economically activE % of population
figurES, StatS walES and nomiS (2008)
2999300 680750 167800 486.2 451.1 68.9 74.2 72.8 63.4 336200
The survey examined whether people wanted to continue working in Cardiff, based on their experiences to date. There was an overwhelmingly positive response to this question. 95% of respondents wanted to continue working in Cardiff for at least the immediate future, with 68% saying they wanted to continue for the foreseeable future. The 5% who said that they did not want to keep working in Cardiff were asked their reasons for wanting to leave: personal reasons and better standard of living were the major responses given.
what rESpondEntS think
of cardiff aS a placE to work
5
%
No
68
%
Yes
keep workiNg
iN Cardiff?
do You waNt to
yes, for the foreseeaBle future
27
%
Yes
yes, at least for the immediate future 5The positive response continues when we consider respondent views on where they would like to be working and for whom in 15 years' time. Close to half of the respondents would like to be working for their current employer in Cardiff, but in a more senior position, in 15 years' time. This suggests considerable satisfaction on the part of many employees with both their employer and city of employment.
Respondents commonly reported that they 'enjoy working with colleagues’ and had an ‘enjoyable working environment'. A number of other features were mentioned, including stimulating work and flexible working arrangements.
Another positive factor for a significant minority was working close to home.
When examining commuting it seems that car/ motorbike is the primary means for getting to work, with over 51% of respondents reporting this type of transport use.
Many of those who took part in the survey (62%) chose more than one method of commuting, with train and walking being the most common combination. More detail on commuting patterns will be presented later in this report.
g
2026
where
would you
like to Be
working
in fifteen
years' time?
what do you
like aBout
working
for your
Current
emPloyer?
getting to work
48
%
working in a more senior role with your Current emPloyer in Cardiff28
%
good Pay22
%
walk
8
%
CyCle
16
%
Bus
22
%
train
51
%
Car / motorCyCle
5
%
working with your Current emPloyer outside Cardiff43
%
work is stimulating7
%
working in a similar joB, But for another emPloyer, in Cardiff58
%
enjoyaBle working environment4
%
working in a similar joB, But for another emPloyer, outside Cardiff69
%
you enjoy working with Colleagues9
%
doing a ComPletelydifferent joB in Cardiff
48
%
you work Close to home
9
%
no Change in your Current CirCumstanCes29
%
good Career ProsPeCts13
%
doing a ComPletely different joB outside Cardiff42
%
flexiBle working arrangements34
%
training oPPortunities7
There was a wide distribution of earnings among the respondents. Although 27% fell into the £15,000 to £20,000 bracket, over 41% of those surveyed earn in excess of £25,000.
The survey was distributed to around 5,000 employees of the member firms of Cardiff Business Partnership. 648 completed questionnaires were returned (response rate of 12.96%). There is a broad split amongst sex and age with a slight skew towards women and respondents aged 24-39. 42% of the sample are under 30 years of age: given that Cardiff has a young population, the sample is thought to be representative.
annual earnings
sex Profile of resPondents age Profile of resPondents
rESpondEntS’ profilE
< £10k
£10k-15k
£15k-£20k
£20k-£25k
£25k-£30k
£30k-£40k
> £40k
£££
£££££££££££££££££££££££££££
££££££££££££
££££££££££££££££££
££££££££££££££££££££££££££££
££
££££££££££££££££
££££££££££££££
£££££££££££
£££££££££££££££££££
££££££££££££££
££££££££££££££££
££££££££££££££££
££££££££££££££
27% 16% 14% 12% 11% 3%£££
malE fEmalE57
%
43
%
25-39 18-24 40-54 55-64 65+11
%
57
%
26
%
5
%cardiff
cardiff?
Job, facilitiES
family, friEndS
walES, proximity
It is important to understand why people choose Cardiff as a place to work, as this helps to explain what it is about the city that is attractive. One reason for working in Cardiff is that people were born here or have lived here since childhood (32% of respondents) or that they were initially brought to the area by a job (24%).
To explore this further, more detail was requested from respondents: one of the key findings is that people come originally because family or friends are in Cardiff. Many respondents reported that they were not originally from Cardiff but came here when they met their partner (11%).
The positive impact of Cardiff’s higher education institutions is also clear from the data, with more than a tenth of people reporting that they chose to stay on after graduation (13%). People also allude to facilities and the size of the city itself: “The main reason was for a better work/life balance and to be near friends and family”.
what
attractEd
pEoplE to
why did
you dEcidE
to work in
32
%
you’ve always lived in
or around Cardiff
24
%
you aPPlied for a joB
and it haPPened to Be
in Cardiff
10
%
you liked the City
and deCided to look
for a joB here
13
%
you Came to
Cardiff to study
and deCided to stay
11
%
you moved here to
Be with a Partner/
family
9
%
9
32
%
Better emPloyment
elsewhere
36
%
48
%
21
%
9
%
Better standard of
housing elsewhere
Personal reasons
Better Cultural offer
elsewhere
Better leisure offer
elsewhere
21
%
6
%
ProBlems in Commuting
Cost and availaBility
of housing
dangErouS
city
livi
ng
ExpEnSivE
£££££££££
commuting
parking /
congEStion
tranSport
ba
what pEoplE don’t likE
]
rEaSonS you
don’t want
to kEEp
working in
cardiff
ba
what
don't you
likE about
working in
cardiff?
2
%
12
%
19
%
21
%
29
%
54
%
3
%
unfriEndly
city
poor
houSing
choicE
outSidE of
work, it'S
hard to gEt
around thE
city
lack of
EmploymEnt
opportunitiES
lack of
promotion
lack of
clEanilinESS
congEStion
poor
cultural
offEr
6
%
9
%
othEr
While the picture painted in the survey is broadly positive, it is important to reflect on the negatives. Although only 5% of those surveyed said they did not want to continue working in Cardiff, it was important to explore the reasons behind their desire to leave. By far the most important motivation for wanting to leave was personal reasons, followed by the perceived better standard of living elsewhere.
More generally, to give a more rounded picture of Cardiff, we also asked all those surveyed what concerns they had about working in the city. The largest area of concern for respondents was congestion, with over half the people (54%) in the survey highlighting this. This appears to refer specifically to the problem of getting in and out of the city to work since only 9% of respondents said that getting around the city outside work was a problem. The other most significant concern was the lack of cleanliness (29%). When the more detailed, qualitative comments provided by individual respondents were explored, concerns about transport were raised again. Almost 80% of comments were about the problems with transport and infrastructure. Along with congestion, the other major area of concern is parking, with numerous respondents expressing annoyance with the limited parking available and cost of parking in the city centre. A number of respondents thought that buses and trains did not provide effective alternatives to driving, with a typical comment being:
"There is no train connections leaving at a suitable time that will get me into work for 9".
Early
cloSing
hourS
crimE
25
%
22
%
11
thE futurE of thE city rEgion
ProjeCts you think the City needs to invest in
what issues should the City ConCentrate
on over the next 10 years
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% transPort in the City transPort to other areas retail faCilities sPorting faCilities Parks & green sPaCes residential develoPment
0 10 20 30 40 50
Creating more joBs Creating more graduate joBs easier Commute to work Better transPort in the City imProved health of residents addressing soCial exClusion making the City safer more things to do in the City attraCt Better shoPs more Bars/ restaurants Better digital CommuniCations Cleaner environment PuBliC serviCes
The development of Cardiff’s infrastructure must be at the heart of long term economic strategy. Examining the views expressed by those that work and live, and/or commute into the city, means that important development priorities can be identified.
Those surveyed expressed clear views about the issues that need the city's attention. Public services are cited by over 50% and this is closely followed by transport in general, both in the city and its hinterland. Along with the physical infrastructure, nearly one third of respondents wanted to see investment in parks and green spaces.
location and commuting
home of resPondents
Approximately 70,000 people commute into Cardiff to work each day. We undertook a spatial analysis of respondents using data provided on post-codes. Of those surveyed, 57% were from the greater Cardiff area. The remaining respondents come from as far afield as 60 miles away, indicating an extensive travel to work area.
outSidE cardiff living in cardiff
58
%
42
%
BRIDGEND
PENARTH
CAERPHILLY
PONTYPRIDD
RHONDDA CYNON TAF
BRECON BEACONS
CARDIFF
THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN
CF3 CF10 41 CF11 45 CF14 59 CF15 18 CF23 31 CF24 69 CF3 32 CF48 12 CF5 60 CF62 19 CF63 12 CF64 31 CF72 14 CF23 CF24 CF83 CF32 CF14 CF15 CF37 CF40 CF43 CF45 CF47 CF42 CF71 CF61 CF34 CF35 CF62 CF63 CF64 CF72 CF10 CF11 CF5 CF38 CF36 CF31 CF33 CF39 CF44 CF48 CF81
most Common
PostCodes of
resPondents
what don't you like aBout working in Cardiff?
13
Most attracted
the job itself
the job itself
the job itself
the job itself
the job itself
the job itself
Local environment
city nightlife, pubs, bars & restaurants
the job itself
the job itself
standard of living
Postcode
cF10
cF11
cF14
cF15
cF23
cF24
cF3
cF48
cF5
cF62
cF63
PostcodecF3/14/23
cF10/24/11
cF62/63/5
cF15/48
£10k - £20k
66.7
63.0
50.0
40.0
38.7
37.3
42.4
60.0
30.5
16.7
33.3
congEStion30.9
26.3
25.6
24.4
£20k - £40k
30.8
26.1
39.7
33.3
51.6
52.2
48.5
30.0
45.8
50.0
25.0
hard city to gEt around4.6
4.7
5.5
14.6
over £40k
2.6
10.9
10.3
26.7
9.7
10.4
9.1
10.0
23.7
33.3
41.7
lack of EmploymEnt opportunitiES6.9
6.7
16.5
4.9
poor houSing4.1
2.7
3.0
4.9
lack of promotion10.1
9.8
17.7
7.3
poor cultural offEr2.3
2.0
1.2
0.0
crimE13.4
16.9
10.4
12.2
lack of clEanlinESS14.3
19.2
11.6
17.1
night facilitiES10.1
11.4
6.7
14.6
Most coMMon Method oF transPort
Walking
Bus
Walking
Bus
car/Motorcycle
Walking
train
train
train
car/Motorcycle
cycle
Residential location is a key factor in explaining the methods of transport used to commute. Although car/ motorcycle dominated the modes of transport overall, walking or bus was a strong preference for those from Central Cardiff (CF24, CF14, CF11, CF10). Contrary to this, CF23 in central Cardiff saw larger numbers driving to work. Train was the preferred travel option for commuters from the Valleys.In terms of earnings there are significant differences between respondents according to residential area. Respondents from Central Cardiff reported lower than average earnings with both CF11 and CF14 having around 5% of those
surveyed earning less than £10,000 per annum. The only other area surveyed which had a higher percentage of low earners was CF48 (Merthyr Tydfil) with 20%. At the other end of the scale CF62 and CF63 have the highest percentage of respondents earning over £40,000. Over 40% of respondents from Barry (CF63) earned over £40,000.
When looking at what attracted people to Cardiff, there is little difference between areas with the exception of two: the first is CF63, where the standard of living was the most attractive factor in coming to Cardiff, while people living in CF3 indicated that the local environment was the most attractive factor.
Clear geographical patterns also emerge when exploring the factors that concern people about the city. Those from city areas such as CF11 and CF14 have concerns with cleanliness and crime. Almost all areas have some degree of concern with congestion, but it appears that those living right in the city centre (CF23, CF24) feel this the most. This is an interesting finding as it is in these areas where most people walk to work. The other interesting detail is that, out of all areas, the farthest postcode in this selection, CF48 (Merthyr Tydfil), appears to have the least concern with congestion.
Looking at the issues that respondents have with Cardiff broken down by age shows some similar patterns to those that have been presented previously. Congestion is seen as the biggest issue within most age bands. However 18-24 year olds see the lack of employment as being the biggest problem. Only one age group (55-64 year olds) highlighted cleanliness as a major issue. A better environment and a cleaner city was chosen by two age groups. Surprisingly, although to this point congestion and transport have been raised by only one age group as the most important, 55-64 year olds choose making it easier to get to work as the city’s priority.
When examining what attracted people to come and work in Cardiff there appears to be a significant age division. 18 to 39 year olds were attracted by City nightlife, pubs, bars & restaurants whereas 55 to 65+ were attracted by the local environment (Parks, green spaces).
agE of rESpondEntS and rESponSES
what does
the City
need to
ConCentrate
on?
what
attraCted
you to Come
and work in
Cardiff?
what do you
dislike the
most aBout
Cardiff?
18-24
agE group
25-39
40-54
55-64
65+
moSt important
moSt attractivE
diSlikE thE moSt
Better environment and
Cleaner City
making the City safer
Better digital
CommuniCation
making it easier to get to
work
Better environment and
Cleaner City
City nightlife, PuBs, Bars
& restaurants
City nightlife, PuBs, Bars
& restaurants
standard of living
loCal environment
(Parks, green sPaCes)
loCal environment
(Parks, green sPaCes)
laCk of emPloyment
oPPortunities
Congestion
Congestion
laCk of Cleanliness
Congestion
15
concluSion
This report has examined the findings of the Cardiff Business Partnership Employee Survey. It reveals positive perceptions of the city, with an encouragingly large number of people reporting that they want to continue to work in Cardiff. There is also a strong positive message for employers, with large numbers of employees reporting that their career aspirations are to progress with their current employer.
When examining the evidence in detail interesting patterns emerge. Many of those who responded said it was the job itself that attracted them to Cardiff, not the city. Having said that, many report satisfaction with the city and this is reflected in their future plans.
Although those surveyed report a broadly positive view of working in Cardiff, they do indicate that there are certain issues related to working in the city. Investment in city infrastructure to improve commuting times was raised as important by many of the respondents. Distance does not seem to be the key determinant in the reporting of congestion problems, with the inner city respondents having greater issues with transport than those commuting longer distances. It is important to note one or two areas that have been highlighted as key to the development of the city:
thE EnvironmEnt: this was particularly important to young
respondents who feel that making Cardiff a cleaner and safer city should be a priority.
infraStructurE: transport in general is mentioned throughout the
report both in the responses to questions and the comments of those surveyed. Of the 470 who responded to the question about the vision for Cardiff in 2020, 80% highlighted transport of some kind as being the area that needs to be developed further. This report also reveals the extensive travel to work area of Cardiff. People travel from as far as Bristol and Pembrokeshire to work in Cardiff. Cardiff City Council reports that 70,000 people commute to work in Cardiff each day. Cardiff is far more than an employment source for city dwellers but provides jobs for the south east Wales region. The city remains the fastest growing part of the Welsh economy supporting incomes over a very wide area.
aCknowledgements
In preparing this report we are very grateful to Jonathan Day of Cardiff Council who was instrumental in collecting and compiling the original data in the survey. Design: www. blacksheep.info
ContaCt details
Dr. Andrew Crawley Tel: +44(0)29 2087 5079 Email: crawleyAJ@cardiff.ac.ukProf. Rick Delbridge
Tel: +44(0)29 2087 6644 Email: delbridger@Cardiff.ac.uk
Cardiff Business School Cardiff University Aberconway Building Colum Drive Cardiff CF10 3EU UK Is a Research Fellow at Cardiff Business School
working with Cardiff Business Partnership. He has been involved in publishing reports on sector analysis and regional economic issues within Wales. His research interests lie in industrial economics, spatial and regional economic analysis.
rick dElbridgE
Is Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Organisational Analysis at Cardiff Business School and a Senior Fellow of the ESRC/EPSRC Advanced Institute of Management Research. His research interests include the organisation and management of innovation. He is co-author of The Exceptional Manager (Oxford University Press).
Is Professor of Employment Relations at the Cardiff Business School and Associate Dean for Human Resources, and is Co-director in the Centre for Global Labour Research, Cardiff University. He has published numerous research reports and papers on industrial relations.
max munday
Is Director of the Welsh Economy Research Unit at the Cardiff Business School and Professor of Economics. He has been involved in research projects that have examined the development of the Cardiff economy, and the development of key sectors in the city area.