Bedford Borough
Living in Bedford
Bedford Borough Council provides a vast range of services for over 171,623 residents and 65,000 homes in Bedford, Kempston and 45 parishes.
The historic town of Bedford is one of the largest urban areas in the county of Bedfordshire. It’s home to a cosmopolitan community. 75% of the borough’s population live in the Bedford Urban Area and the large villages which surround it, which makes up slightly less than 6% of the total land area of the Borough. There are many restaurants and shops inspired by the many cultures that inhabit the area.
There are many amenities, such as The Embankment or Bedford Park, the town’s largest park. Bedford sits just 50 miles north of London. In the heart of the town there is the River Great Ouse, which offers the opportunity to explore by boat, kayak or canoe. In the summer, rowing regattas and the biennial River Festival draw large crowds. There are events venues, including the Corn Exchange and the Philharmonic Orchestra.
Twice a week, market traders set up shop in the town centre. There are monthly gourmet food and farmers’ markets, as well as home and garden and ‘handmade in Bedford’ markets. There are many visitor attractions available including swimming pools, Kempston Outdoor Center, Athletics Stadium, Oasis Beach pool.
Working in Bedford
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Bedford was worth an estimated £5.4 billion in 2021, according to figures published by the ONS. Bedford’s GDP growth between 2020 and 2021 was 15.7% per year. The Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles industry is the largest in Bedford based on the number of jobs, accounting for 17.4% of roles in the area.
ONS figures for 2021 suggest that there are 92,000 jobs in Bedford, which has a working-age (aged 16-65) population of 117,693. The 2021 job density in Bedford is 0.78, meaning there are 0.78 jobs per member of the Bedford working-age population. Bedford had a median average salary for full-time employees of £33,539 in 2023. Bedford’s unemployment rate is 4.9% as of 2023
The biggest provider of future new jobs is likely to be Universal Destinations & Experiences’, which is a unit of Comcast NBCUniversal, intention to build and operate the company’s first-ever Universal branded theme park and resort in the United Kingdom, which will be located in Bedford. The proposals include an entertainment resort complex featuring a world-class theme park with several themed lands, visitor accommodation, as well as a range of retail, dining and entertainment uses.
The development is expected to have a transformative impact on Bedford and the UK economy, as it:
- is estimated that it will generate nearly £50 billion of economic benefit
- will create about 28,000 jobs
- will be one of the largest employers in the region
- is expected to have approximately 80% of employees come from Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes
- will also help deliver several long sought after transportation upgrades including an expanded Wixams railway station, direct slip roads from the A421 and other local road improvements
The 2022 labour force or working-age population in Bedford is 117,693 or 62.8% of the total population. In 2022, 95.1% of the labour market was recorded as employed, below the 96.1% average rate for England. Of those employed, 11.1% are self-employed, and 88.9% are employees.
Bedford Borough Council has an aim to be the employer of choice, with a representative workforce that reflects the community it serves. It recruits ambitious and committed individuals with the right skills to help us deliver its services. The Council offers many career opportunities in an environment which values, supports and encourages the development of its employees.
Bedford Hospital offers front line NHS roles and support teams, all playing a part in helping to improve the health of local people.
The Hospital offer full and part-time jobs in everything from catering and cleaning to clerical and maintenance roles and radiography and physiotherapy. Bedford Hospital prioritises having a happy workforce, so do encourage discussing flexible hours to make it as easy as possible to maintain a positive work life balance.