Our business stock
Overview
The Kirklees economy comprised 17,450 separate 'business units' in 2024. 84.1% of these were microbusinesses employing fewer than 10 staff - slightly below the England average of 84.6%. Just 60 businesses in Kirklees have more than 250 employees.
The number of new business start-ups in Kirklees increased from 1,735 in 2017 to 2,155 in 2022, or 18.4% of all start-ups in West Yorkshire, in proportion to our share of the West Yorkshire business stock. Business startup data suggests that entrepreneurs from neighbourhoods in Kirklees falling into the 20% most deprived nationally are now responsible for 40% of new businesses.
