There is a a very good balance of jobs to people (92 jobs per 100 working age people in 2017, compared to a national figure of 83 per 100).

Wages are below the national average. The 2017 estimated median full time wage was £26,281 in the functional economic area, whereas in England and Wales the figure was £28,933.

The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership's 'Productivity Strategy' has a target to double the size of the economy. This will be partially related to the jobs growth target, but a significant element of achieving this will be through increased productivity. Productivity is the key to delivering better wages, better jobs, stronger businesses, better public services and a fantastic place for people and businesses to live and work.

The main levers to improve productivity are considered to be: improved housing affordability which improves labour mobility and access to skilled workers by local firms, including the retention of young talented people within the area; expansion of key high productivity economic sectors; and improved training, skills and education.

Economic growth aspirations in Teignbridge focus on growing successful local businesses and providing a good range of jobs. This is particularly the case for smaller businesses because of the greater resilience that a diverse business base has in any future economic downturn. There is also a focus on providing town centre business incubation units, viable and attractive town centres, and more sustainable transport options.

Forecasts for the functional economic area predicted a growth of between 1,400 and 1,700 new jobs from 2015-2040 with the main growth expected in the sectors of: construction; accommodation and food services; business services; and health.

Affordable access to new employment land and buildings needs to be enabled through the allocation of new employment sites;

There is a continued need to deliver employment land for business, industry, manufacturing and warehousing uses. Whilst a large amount of this need is already accounted for in allocations, it is evident that the delivery of these sites is not straightforward. As such, the amount of employment land needed is driven by more factors than just future projected employment growth.