finance
Liverpool FC and VistaPrint Partnership Spotlights Small Businesses Amid Local Employment Figures
Initiative gives visibility to independent firms as city reports 57.3% employment rate and 223,400 total jobs.
How we reported this
Liverpool's employment rate reached 57.3% as of September 2025, below the Great Britain average of 60.8%. Total employment stands at 223,400 with a model-based unemployment rate of 5.3% and an economic inactivity rate of 28.2%.
These numbers come at a time when the claimant count sits at 19,300, or 5.7%, above the national 4.0% rate. Median annual pay for residents reached £37,788 in 2025, under the Great Britain figure of £39,863. More than 800 vacancies are listed locally, including 736 part-time and 113 temporary positions.
Small Business Visibility
Liverpool FC and VistaPrint run the Small Business of the Match initiative, which has featured over 36 UK small businesses through pitch-side LED advertising, Anfield tours and matchday hospitality since the partnership started. The programme draws attention to independent operators in a city where nearly one in four workers in the Liverpool City Region lack key employability skills.
The Good Small Business Awards 2025 took place in Liverpool, drawing over 200 attendees and naming winners such as Really Recycle. Nominations remain open for the Merseyside Independent Business Awards, set for Liverpool's Rum Warehouse on October 20 across 14 categories.
Skills Alignment Efforts
The Liverpool City Region is running a Local Skills Improvement Plan targeting gaps in manufacturing, construction, logistics, professional business services and the visitor economy. City of Liverpool College delivers training in healthcare, digital, manufacturing and construction under the UK government's Local Skills Improvement Fund. The Combined Authority projects 57,000 new net jobs in the region by 2035, led by healthcare, education, transport and construction.
Businesses can check current vacancies through nomisweb.co.uk or totaljobs.com listings for Liverpool. The Department of Health and Social Care Workforce Development Fund supports adult social care training via the Liverpool Social Care Partnership.
This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.