Employment in Dudley
Being at the heart of the Black Country, Dudley had a strong tie to the iron, coal and limestone industries. More recently, the Merry Hill shopping centre has made retail into a central industry, although the centre did impact on smaller high street stores.
The borough encompasses Halesowen, Stourbridge and Brierley Hill and has a number of further education institutes, including Dudley College, Halesowen College and King Edward VI Sixth Form.
The employment rate for Dudley is 71.5%, below the national average of 75.9%. The median pay of full time workers in Dudley is slightly below the National average. However, the area has a significant gender pay gap and, taken individually, the average salary of men in Dudley is slightly above the national average wage.