Cities worst hit by recession

Statistics show true extent of Britain’s recession

The recession has left no stone uncovered and almost every area of the country has seen the scars left by the economic crisis.

The Office of National Statistics has released figures that show the extent of the problem in the worst affected areas.

Unemployment rates have been soaring in Birmingham, the worst affected of the country’s large cities, where the number of people claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) more than tripled over the past 12 months.

The largest jump in people claiming benefits due to unemployment have been found in the North, West Midlands and north of the border. These areas, known for manufacturing, have been hit particularly hard and there is no sign of a recovery happening fast enough to safeguard existing jobs.

Areas worst affected by recession 2009.

The number of unemployed workers rose most significantly in:

• Leeds
• Glasgow
• Liverpool
• Sheffield
• Manchester
• Hull
• Bradford
• Kirklees
• Bristol

The above list of small to large-scale cities tells only part of the story. Council areas on the outskirts of many of these cities are suffering sharp rises in unemployment, which is especially harsh given that these areas were bypassed by the last decade of prosperity. The fact that many council areas were untouched by the more affluent years has left them particularly vulnerable to the recession.

Naomi Clayton, senior researcher at The Work Foundation, has called on policy makers to deal with the recession on a local level and not just for the cities. Ms Clayton warned policy makers to “ignore how recessions play out locally at their peril”.

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