Businesses in Mid Wales
Mid Wales contains 12,660 VAT registered businesses. The business base has a very high proportion (>95%) of micro businesses (<10 employees). Just 0.8% of businesses across Mid Wales are classed as medium or large (50+ employees). Over the past ten years, growth in the number of businesses in the region has remained relatively static at 2% and has lagged significantly behind Wales (15%) and the UK (27%). Survival rates for new businesses after 5 years are however significantly better in Mid Wales than for England & Wales .
The large proportion of micro businesses across Mid Wales is in part driven by the high number of farms and agricultural enterprises, which represent 37% of all businesses. Medium sized enterprises are seen predominantly in the health and manufacturing sectors, representing 6% and 5% of the total business stock respectively. The large geographic area and rural nature of Mid Wales means that business density is also significantly lower than in Wales and the UK.
Construction, Accommodation and Food Services, Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, and Business Administration Services are other significant sectors in terms of business counts.
Reflecting the sectoral composition of businesses, employment is heavily based in agriculture, with accommodation and food services also being significant, illustrating the importance of the tourism industry to the region. Education and health also contribute significantly to employment in Mid Wales demonstrating the key role of the public sector as a source of jobs in the region, with military bases in other areas offering significant local employment.
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