Overview
With over 4,900 businesses, the borough contributes about 9% of the wider Lancashire business base and is home to the largest number of businesses of the Pennine Lancashire authorities. A range of sectors operate in the borough. Five main areas make up over half of businesses in the borough.
A range of sectors operate in the borough. Five main areas make up over half of businesses in the borough. These are:
- professional scientific and technical services
- retail
- business administration and support services
- manufacturing
- construction
In addition to the large public sector local government and health sector employers, there are a number of large private sectors businesses operating from the borough. These include;
- Crown Paints
- John Lewis supplier Herbert Parkinson
- Graham and Brown wall coverings
- Euro Garages
There are in the region of 70,000 employee jobs in Blackburn with Darwen. Around seven in ten jobs in the borough are found in the main sectors of; health, manufacturing, retail and wholesale, education and business administration and support services.
Despite a national decline the borough retains a higher than average level of employment in the manufacturing sector. Although the majority of employee jobs in the borough are found within the in the private sector, employment within the public sector is above regional and national averages.
The borough has an entrepreneurial culture, with a business start-up rate higher than Lancashire as a whole and a proportion of higher turnover businesses just above the Lancashire average.