St Laurence, Southend-on-Sea: Jobs

St Laurence's workforce is spread across health, retail, and construction, with a notable shift toward home working. Around 28% of residents worked from home at the 2021 Census. Health and social work is the largest employer, with 788 residents in the sector. Retail and wholesale comes next with 704 workers, followed by construction with 499. Finance and education also have a strong presence. Over half of working residents drive to work, making it the most common commute. But home working has clearly taken off, which suggests many residents do office-based or professional work that shifted during the pandemic. Manufacturing still employs 321 people, showing there's some industrial activity in the wider area. Overall, it's a mixed and practical workforce rather than one dominated by a single industry.