Looking Back At Essex Jobs
Finding a job now is much more difficult than it perhaps was over a hundred years ago, with more people trying to gain employment in a specified profession. Those who have grown up in Essex are more likely to branch away from this county, in towards London and surrounding areas. Jobs in London tend to pay extra due to the outer London weighting and because it is a large city they will offer more diverse job opportunities.
The demand for Essex jobs have increased dramatically over the last five years, which made finding work much more difficult. There are more people involved in skilled trading rather than academic based employment. The rise in people opting for academia as opposed to skilled work has resulted in the rising increase in wages for people with skilled employment. Plumbers alone could earn around 60, 000 pounds, whereas a new graduate would be lucky if they found themselves work earning them a minimum of 20, 000 pounds, which will slowly increase each year.
This is not to say that working in a skilled trade is the way forward above academia, on the contrary working in the skilled trade will mean that the individual will have to work harder to maintain their client base and actively find work. Working in this field can give you the opportunity to become self-employed, freelance or work under an agency/employer. The latter will make it easier to find new clients and find work more regularly.
Essex jobs during the reign of Elizabeth I consisted mainly of the Bay and Say trading, better known as wool trading. The art of weaving was introduced by the Flemish people, which the monarch of the time encouraged to be taught across the county. This gave rise to more job opportunities, not just in trading, but also in creating new garments and materials. Clothing was distributed in the major towns such as Colchester, Braintree, Dedham, Coggeshall, Halsted and Bocking.
The major clothing towns were a significant advantage for many families, as it allowed employment in weaving, spinning, sewing and more. The garments were sought after by Royalty and the wealthy, making Essex a popular choice for trading and making money. Essex jobs at this point in time were plentiful in agriculture, garment production, goods trading and other skilled work. However, it would not be until the mid 1500's to the 1700's, that the production of gunpowder began to take precedence over the skilled trading work.
The production of gunpowder was the start of many changes to come in Essex, namely within the employment industry. Much of Essex jobs consisted of working within the gunpowder industry which became an extremely lucrative money making trade. By 1900 it had allocated 1200 jobs, with much of the production contributing towards much of the national requirements. This was furthermore successful soon after the introduction of the railway system.
The railway system and transportation links changed the face of employment, making it easier for people to transport goods to major cities quickly. Furthermore, Essex was also thriving in the production of silk and crepe, opening up 2000 jobs to people. This attracted furthermore monarchs in purchasing robes and expensive silk garments.
Modern day Essex is still abundant in skilled work, which includes clothing production, trading of goods and supplies, and constructions work. Much of these have progressed further into major corporate companies and industries. Most of Essex has become commercialised and much more diverse in employment opportunities, allowing more people to take the root into academia. However, they have over the years increased the earning potential for most first-time employees and trainees, through incorporating the skilled trade with corporate companies.
Article Source: Daily Digest Magazine
About the Author
Anna Stenning is an expert on the history of Essex jobs, having researched and lived in Essex for many years.