Dealing with Auto Industry Rundown and Closures: a perspective from Birmingham Challenges facing Mono-Sectoral Cities, Open Days 2010

3. The respondents and the spatial impact

• In 2005, MG Rover workers
• 44% lived in Birmingham
• 24% in the ‘Black country’
• 12% in Bromsgrove
• 3% in Solihull
• 18% in the rest of the WM and England.

4. Overview of workers

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• By 2008, 90% were in work, mostly in full-time work.

4. Overview of workers

• Their overall activity rate (in work and looking for work) equaled 95% which is above the regional average (83%)
• 86% are on permanent contract
• However
• 65% of the employed and 85% of the unemployed stated having faced difficulty:
• Too many people applying for the same job
• Age
• Lack of skills and experience

4. Overview of workers

• 1/3 of workers in full-time job in 2008 reported having had at least another job before;
• This proportion rose to
• 70% for those in unemployment;
• 100% for those in part-time job;
• 75% for those inactive and not looking for work.

4. Overview of workers

• For 70% of workers, personal connections and own initiative played
• an important role in finding a job.

4. Overview of workers

• Still a high proportion of manufacturing work but a conversion towards services…

4. Overview of workers

• A mix of upward and downward mobility in terms of occupations
• 34% have higher occupational roles
• 31% have lower occupational roles
• More than 60% have now a different role using different skills
• A median annual salary decrease of ₤5,640 (adjusted for inflation)
• Only 28% think that their current job is better than the one they had at MG Rover but 63% see themselves doing it for the foreseable future.

4. Overview of workers

• 54% increased their commute time to work

• less anxiety

• better job quality
• more skill use
• more autonomy
• more challenge at work

• Longer Commute