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What is LMI and why do I need to know about it?

Curriculum for Life editorial team
Curriculum for Life editorial team
Understand what Labour Market information (LMI) is and how you can use it to inform your next steps.
A picture of Manchester City centre
A picture of Manchester City centre

What is LMI?

LMI, short for Labour Market information, is any sort of information about the world of work, both in your local area and nationally. LMI can refer to a whole host of different types of information including:

  • How in demand a job is
  • Rates of pay
  • The sorts of skills or qualifications that are currently, or will be in high demand
  • The top growth sectors
  • Pathways and progression routes to different careers

LMI also allows you to look at current and future trends, giving you an understanding of the sorts of jobs that you could be applying for in 5-10 years’ time that might not even exist yet!

Why is it important?

The world is moving fast, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the labour market reflects that. Ways of working have changed, and new technologies and industry changes make some jobs more in demand than others. All of this constant movement is very exciting but also can be tricky to keep up with.

LMI can be used to help you make informed choices about your next steps so you can understand as much as possible, the changing landscape within your interested sector/s. Some factors you might want to consider that you can use LMI data to support are:

 

  • Are there plentiful opportunities in my local area in the sector that I am interested in? Is there more demand in other areas? Would I need to relocate?
  • What sort of pathways could I take after school/ college that get on you your desired route? (T-Level, Apprenticeship, A Level, degree etc…)
  • What are the most in demand skills employers are looking for? Am I able to articulate and evidence that I have developed these skills?
  • How competitive are the roles that I want to apply for? Would I need an alternative plan?

Greater Manchester LMI

Greater Manchester’s workforce is deep and broad meaning there are a lot of opportunities in lots of different areas of the economy. The Public Sector employs around 1 in 3 workers in Greater Manchester, across health, education, emergency services and local government.

The top Growth Sectors in Greater Manchester are:

  1. Digital, creative and media
  2. Manufacturing and technology
  3. NHS, medical research and social care
  4. Logistics and e-commerce
  5. Business, finance and professional services
  6. Green industries
Image showing the in demand occupations across GM. Information in the image is presented in the drop down sections below for each area in GM.

Greater Manchester in-demand occupations (Sep-Nov 2023)

Manchester
  1. Software Developer
  2. Salesperson
  3. Lawyer
  4. Admin Assistant
  5. Teaching Assistant
Wigan
  1. Teaching Assistant
  2. Admin Assistant
  3. Carer
  4. Social Worker
  5. Nurse
Tameside
  1. Teaching Assistant
  2. Social Worker
  3. Nurse
  4. Retail Sales Associate
  5. Cleaner
Trafford
  1. Customer Service
  2. Admin Assistant
  3. Bookkeeper
  4. Cleaner
  5. Teaching Assistant
Salford
  1. Teaching Assistant
  2. Admin Assistant
  3. Customer Service
  4. Cleaner
  5. Bookkeeper
Rochdale
  1. Teaching Assistant
  2. Bookkeeper
  3. Admin Assistant
  4. Warehouse Worker
  5. Customer Service
Bolton
  1. Teaching Assistant
  2. Admin Assistant
  3. Customer Service
  4. Bookkeeper
  5. Cleaner
Stockport
  1. Teaching Assistant
  2. Admin Assistant
  3. Customer Service
  4. Bookkeeper
  5. Carer
Bury
  1. Teaching Assistant
  2. Admin Assistant
  3. Social Worker
  4. Nurse
  5. Customer Service
Oldham
  1. Teaching Assistant
  2. Social Worker
  3. Admin Assistant
  4. Nurse
  5. Cleaner

The top 5 skills employers are looking for are:

  1. Communication
  2. Management
  3. Customer Service
  4. Sales
  5. Detail Oriented

Check out the GMACS website to learn more about the top growth sectors and skills in Greater Manchester

Find out more

Check out the below websites to delve deeper into Labour Market Information to help you inform career decisions:

  • LMI For All – a one-stop shop for all things LMI, take a look at their Careerometer and Skillsometer
  • iCould – explore careers and information for future career choices

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