How warehouse work is booming in Yorkshire’s former coalfields

Former mining areas in South, North and West Yorkshire now have 60,000 people working in more than 1,000 warehouses. Overall the warehouse and logistics sector has about 180,000 employees across England, Scotland and Wales, which is as many as worked in the coal industry leading up to the 1984-5 miners’ strike.

Yorkshire has been hailed the “capital of warehousing” as the “staggering” growth accounts for nearly half of new employment in the coalfields region today.

Though wages and working conditions in warehouses have been subject to criticism and scrutiny, some of the Barnsley workforce said their roles were ideal because they offered flexibility, progression and convenience.

Lauren Smith said she had been stuck in “dead end” jobs before applying to Evri. She began as a warehouse operative before transferring to administration and supervisory positions, and she has also served as a trade union rep.

She said: “I’ve never been to a place which has given me as much as this place has. It’s a job that had the most potential for me.”

Early shifts and a job close to home gave the 32-year-old an excuse to try her hand at something new, and she said her partner and friends also work in distribution centres because of the flexible hours.