Exclusive: 50,000 Yorkshire jobs could go as public spending axe falls

With the new Liberal-Conservative government already working on plans to slash public spending in a bid to rebalance the nation's shocking budget deficit, a Yorkshire Post study suggests tens of thousands of jobs are likely to go in the region - amidst warnings of a widening of the north-south divide.

Yorkshire has been left badly exposed to potential Government spending cuts by the high proportion of public sector employment in key parts of the region. Between a quarter and a third of all workers in Yorkshire are employed by the state. Latest figures suggest the public sector is responsible for almost a quarter of Yorkshire's economy.

The Government has yet to announce exactly where, when and how the necessary savings are to be made, but estimates suggest up to half a million public sector job could go across the UK. In Yorkshire this would equate to around 50,000 people losing their jobs - the equivalent of an entire town the size of Keighley or Scarborough.

The knock-on effects for much of the private sector are also likely to be grim, with many firms hugely reliant on state contracts and public funds for their own livelihood. The reduced spending capacity of the tens of thousands of people likely to find themselves out of work will also impact heavily on sectors such as leisure and retail.

The impact will be felt most keenly in South Yorkshire, where towns and cities such as Barnsley, Doncaster and Sheffield have a particularly high proportion of public servants.

In Saturday's Yorkshire Post: a two-page report with case studies on where the axe may fall, and what the consequences could be.