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The Business and Property Services Industry

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The number of jobs in this industry has increased rapidly over the last 10 years; rising by almost 50%.

  • About three per cent of all Scottish jobs are in the business and property services industry. (73,900)
  • The majority of employers have less than ten people. (89%)

Areas included

The role of the business and property services industry is to manage and maintain the places where we live and work. The industry has four key sub-sectors:

  • Cleaning
  • Facilities Management
  • Housing
  • Property

Facilities Management is quite a new sector; that is growing both in size and importance. Market research suggests that it is worth around £96bn per annum in the UK.

  • There are jobs at all levels.
  • The industry has a high number of unskilled jobs, such as cleaners.
  • Professions such as surveyor and town planner are also found in this industry.

For a full list of jobs in business and property services see below.

What’s it like working in the Business and Property Services Industry?

  • This industry will appeal most to those with an interest in working with people or in practical, active work.
  • Slightly more than half of all jobs are full-time; part-time employment accounts for 44% of jobs.
  • 56% of the workforce is female.
  • The average age of a worker is 40 – older than the average of 36 for Scotland as a whole.
  • Employers in this industry are less likely than other sectors to recruit leavers from college and university.
  • Employers are less likely to recruit school leavers. Only 14 per cent of employers had recruited a school leaver between2003 and 2006.

Future Trends

  • Future trends are for continuing growth in this sector; albeit at a rather slower rate.
  • The Housing sector alone will create 46,000 new jobs in the UK over the next ten years; replacing 30 - 40% of the existing workforce.
  • The recruitment and retention of staff is a concern for employers in the cleaning industry. The industry faces stiff competition for front line staff from other industries such as retail.
  • This has already lead to the recruitment of staff from outside of Scotland; particularly Eastern Europe.

Find out more about where the jobs are in your area.

Useful Information

Asset Skills is the Sector Skills Council for the Business and Property Services industry.

Further information on the range of jobs is available from the following websites:  

 



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Occupations

Accountant
Accountant - Industry and Commerce
Accountant - Private Practice
Accounting Technician
Accounts/Finance Clerk
Actuary
Advice Centre Worker
Advocate
Agricultural Secretary
Auctioneer
Auditor
Bilingual Secretary
Bill Poster/Fixer
Building Control Officer
Building Services Engineer
Building Services Engineering Technician
Building Surveyor
Bus/Rail Passenger Transport Clerk
Buyer
Caretaker/Janitor
Cartographer
Catering/Restaurant Manager
Charity Organiser
Chartered Secretary
Cleaner - Domestic
Cleaner - Industrial
Clerk
Conference/Exhibition Organiser
Craft Designer
Credit Manager
Customer Services Manager
Data Input Operator
Database Administrator
Debt Collector
Direct Marketing Manager
Diver
Domestic Services Manager
Dry Cleaning Assistant
Dry Cleaning/Laundry Manager
Economist
Employee Relations Officer
Employment Agency Consultant
Ergonomist
Estate Agent
Estate Manager
Fashion/Advertising Photographer
Graphic Designer
Graphics Studio Assistant
Housing Assistant
Housing Officer
Hydrographic Cartographer
Hydrographic Surveyor
Industrial/Commercial Photographer
Information Scientist
Interior/Exhibition Designer
Jewellery/Silver Designer
Land Surveyor
Landscape Architect
Management Consultant
Manager
Market Research Analyst
Market Research Executive
Market Research Interviewer
Marketing Manager
Medical Illustrator
Medical Records Clerk
Medical Secretary
Model
Office Receptionist
Operational Researcher
Organisation and Methods Officer
Patent Attorney
Patent Examiner
Pension Fund Manager
Personal Assistant
Personnel Officer
Photographer
Photographer - General Practice
Photographic Processing Assistant
Photographic Technician
Photographic Technologist
Planning and Development Surveyor
Porter/Security Attendant
Postroom Clerk
Press Photographer/Photojournalist
Private Investigator
Public Relations Officer
Quantity Surveying Technician
Quantity Surveyor
Receptionist
Reprographics Operative
Road Transport Clerk
Road Transport Manager
Rural Property Surveyor
Scientific Photographer
Secretary
Security Officer/Guard
Social Researcher
Statistician
Street Cleaner
Surveyor
Technical Land Surveyor
Telephonist
Translator
Valuer
Wages Clerk
Window Cleaner
Word Processor Operator