Sales and retail assistants make up the highest percentage of the national workforce and Norwich is among the areas with the highest concentration, census details have shown. 

As data from the 2021 census continues to be released, it is sales and retail assistants that topped the England and Wales occupation figures, with 1.1 million people in that sector. 

That was ahead of care workers and home carers in second and then cleaners and domestic workers in third. 

READ MORE: Chantry Place store to close for a month as refurbishment takes place

That pattern was replicated for the Norwich area, with an estimated 3,510 sales and retail assistants working in the Fine City, 2,690 care workers or home carers and 2,280 cleaners and domestic workers.

That makes sales and retail assistants an estimated 5.3pc of the population, which the 2021 census gave as 144,000, up 8.7% from 2011. 

Only four areas had a higher percentage of sales and retail assistants than Norwich’s 5.3%, with Lincoln leading the way on 6.3% ahead of Kingston upon Hull (5.9%), Hartlepool (5.6%) and Middlesbrough (5.5%). 

Great Yarmouth, Blackpool, Tamworth and Merthyr Tydfil were all tied with Norwich in fifth place on 5.3%. 

With Norwich being one of the top shopping destinations in the eastern region, featuring both the Castle Quarter and Chantry Place shopping centres and attractions such as the Lanes, the Royal Arcade and Jarrold, those figures are perhaps unsurprising. 

Norwich Evening News: Castle Quarter is one of two major shopping centres in NorwichCastle Quarter is one of two major shopping centres in Norwich (Image: Danielle Booden)

READ MORE: Boss insists Castle Quarter is in strong position as plans for empty shops revealed

Nationally, the figures show that elected politicians (52%) farmers (42%), members of the clergy (30%) and undertakers (28%) are among the occupations most dependent on those aged 60 or over. 

While at the youngest end of the age range, 16 to 24-year-olds made up about half of workers in some hospitality roles including waiters and waitresses (50%), bar staff (48%), and coffee shop workers (48%). 

The ONS said: “The tendency of young people to hold these types of job, and work in hospitality and retail, may have left young people especially open to job losses and being unable to work during the coronavirus pandemic.”