Londonruns on a handful of strong industries. If you’re job-hunting or weighing a move, here’s where the opportunities (and the big-name employers) are.
Top industries & employers
Finance (the City & Canary Wharf)
HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, Bank of England, London Stock Exchange
One of the world's top financial centres — split between the historic Square Mile and Canary Wharf.
Fintech
Revolut, Monzo, Wise, Starling Bank, Checkout.com
Europe's leading fintech hub; a dense cluster of payments, neobank and crypto firms.
Technology
Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, DeepMind
Big-tech European HQs plus a deep startup scene around King's Cross and Old Street.
Media & creative
BBC, Sky, ITV, WPP, Framestore
Broadcasting, advertising, film/VFX and publishing — a global creative-industries capital.
Law
Clifford Chance, Linklaters, Allen & Overy, Freshfields, Slaughter and May
Home to the 'Magic Circle' — English law underpins much of global commerce and arbitration.
Life sciences
GSK, AstraZeneca, Francis Crick Institute, UCL, Imperial College
A growing research-and-pharma cluster around the 'knowledge quarter' near King's Cross.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.