The Marlow Film Studio project, and other developments, claim they will provide jobs for local people but do we need more local jobs?
The Office of National Statistics provides data about the Wycombe District (the smallest granularity available in the dataset). In 2020, there were 98,000 jobs available. However, there were only 92,400 people wanting to work. That’s everyone who is “economically active”, which means people who work or people who are classed as unemployed (i.e. available for work). There is therefore a shortfall of over 5,000 jobs that have no workers available to do them.
In addition, Buckinghamshire only has an unemployment rate of 3% (data from February 2022). The national average is 4.3% and places like Birmingham are struggling with unemployment of over 9%.
This is not an area that needs job creation and building a studio here does not support the government’s Levelling Up agenda to spread opportunity more equally across the UK.
Some of the jobs that Dido Property Limited (Guernsey) have been claiming will be created here included chefs, accountants and teachers. Search Indeed.com for those jobs within 5 miles of Marlow and you will find hundreds available already.
Many local businesses are currently struggling to fill vacant positions. We do not need more jobs here. We do not need to sacrifice Marlow’s Greenbelt for it.