Business, Economy and Employment in Kettering

Are you looking for houses to rent in Kettering? The good news is that the town offers a host of employment opportunities. Kettering has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the UK, partly because of its central location and easy links to London, which attracts businesses and potential employees to the area.

If you are moving to Kettering for work reasons, it is always a good idea to rent before buying. This way you get a feel for the town and can decide on your preferred areas to live before you make a commitment to purchase. Ashan Property Limited has a good range of houses to rent in Kettering, from detached properties to semis, terraced homes, bungalows as well as village properties.

We are committed to customer service and offer a 24 hour helpline for tenants so that urgent maintenance issues (such as boiler breakdowns etc.) are addressed as quickly as possible for your comfort and peace of mind. Meanwhile, if you are moving to the area, read on to find out more about business and employment opportunities in Kettering.

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Economy and Demographics

Kettering has a fast growing population of more than 93,000 in the borough and as many as 70 per cent of those of working age have regular, paid employment. With its strong workforce and excellent transport links, new businesses are springing up all the time including more offices, leisure and retail establishments, which are set to attract even more employment opportunities.

Of the working population a fifth work in the retail industry, and 14 per cent work in manufacturing and the health industry respectively. Most people consider themselves as having a professional position, while 13 per cent are in the skilled trade and 11 per cent work in administration. The average age of the population of Kettering is 39.

History of Business in Kettering

In the 19th century, the advent of the railway helped boost the fortunes of Kettering. It was seen as a relatively prosperous town in a region famous for its boot and shoe industry. Many of the mansions you can see in the Headlands area and in Rockingham Road were once homes of the factory owners, while the workers lived in the terraced houses. Unfortunately the town’s footwear industry declined in the 1970’s as manufacturing moved abroad, and now only two smaller industries remain.

However, since this time, new industries have sprung up in the town with a number of large employers basing themselves here, many located in one of the town’s business parks.

Largest Employers in Kettering

Among the largest employers in the town is the 19th century built Kettering General Hospital on Rothwell Road, which employs 3,000 staff including doctors, nurses, cleaners, porters and kitchen staff. If you are renting homes in Kettering to take up a post in the education industry, Tresham College of Further and Higher Education is another major employer, with 16,000 pupils spread across campuses in Corby, Wellington as well as Windmill Avenue, Kettering.

Other major organisations include breakfast cereal company Weetabix, at Burton Latimer, printing press manufacturer Timsons, which has 200 employees, Pegasus Software which has an 80 strong workforce, Morrisons Distribution, and Wicksteed park, a theme park which hosts as many as 1,250,000 visitors a season.

Business Parks in Kettering

One of the main industrial sites in the town is Kettering Business Park, a 30 acre site on the A43, and close to the A14, which has easy transport links to the town centre and railway station. The business park is still undergoing redevelopment but to date (2015) has a number of office buildings, restaurants – including a Harvester Restaurant, KFC, Indian restaurant Mazza, Nando’s and Frankie and Benny’s – and a Holiday Inn Express Hotel. In the same area, close to the A43, are large distribution warehouses, which are a major source of employment.

Transport Links

Kettering is centrally based in the UK, close to the A14 which connects westbound with the M1 on to London and the M6 for Birmingham, and eastbound with Cambridge. The town also runs regular train services to and from London.

If you are renting property in Kettering and using public transport to get to and from work, frequent bus services operate in and around the town, with most in-town bus services operating from outside the library.

To find homes to rent in Kettering near your workplace, contact Ashan Property who will be happy to help!