The UK space industry's workforce falls across a range of specialisms, including aerospace, applied sciences, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Employment increased at a rate of 4.3% per annum in 2017, which is equivalent to 0.13% of the total UK workforce.
The skilled workforce generates £140,000 of value per person and is exceptionally well-educated, with three in four employees holding at least a primary degree. Although all regions are home to the headquarters of space organisations, employment is concentrated in London, South East, East of England and Scotland.
The UK space industry is responsible for more than 41,900 jobs, with productivity 2.6 times higher than the national average
In terms of employment in the UK space sector, space applications (observation, telecommunications and global navigation) account for 68% of the total workforce, followed by space manufacturing with 17% and space operations (planning, training and mission control) with 9%. Ancillary services (insurance and software) make up 6% of the workforce.
Spaceport Cornwall is expected to create 448 jobs by 2028 during its initial stages of operation, including 150 direct and 282 indirect jobs. If this workforce was split into the same categories as total UK employment, that would equate to 305 positions in space applications, 76 in manufacturing, 40 in space operations and 27 in ancillary services.
The Stay in Cornwall Spaceport Case File
Stay in Cornwall's Spaceport Case File analyses official government reports covering the UK space sector, looking at its carbon emissions, economical impact, employment rate and educational interest to date. The case file also looks at the UK's key space explorations, contributions and discoveries, to highlight the history surrounding spaceports.
Sources include the Office for National Statistics, Spaceport Cornwall, London Economics and the Space Innovation and Growth Strategy.