Winners and losers in region’s economy revealed

THE winners and losers of Yorkshire’s post-2010 economy are revealed today in new jobs data which shows glaring disparities between different towns and cities across the region.
The winners and losers of Yorkshire's post-2010 economy are revealedThe winners and losers of Yorkshire's post-2010 economy are revealed
The winners and losers of Yorkshire's post-2010 economy are revealed

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics reveal the number of people working in private sector jobs across the region increased by more than 50,000 between mid-2010 and mid-2012.

The data suggests some areas have seen considerable private sector growth despite the ongoing economic uncertainty, while others have suffered significant job losses.

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Some of the results are unexpected, with traditionally affluent centres including Leeds and Harrogate faring poorly, while other towns and cities thought to have weaker economies enjoying sizeable job increases.

The biggest winner is York, which has seen private sector growth of almost 13,500 jobs over the two-year period – an increase of around 20 per cent.

Neighbouring Selby has also enjoyed a significant boom, with private sector jobs increasing by almost 10,000 – an increase of 35 per cent from the 2010 figure.

At the other end of the scale, Leeds has apparently lost nearly 7,500 private sector jobs; a 2.5 per cent drop. And Harrogate has shed 6,000 jobs – a drop of more than ten per cent in just two years.

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The figures have been compiled from the ONS’s annual population survey, and the Government has warned they may be subject to “a margin of uncertainty”.

Councils and business leaders in the under-performing areas also urged caution, insisting their own analysis points to a brighter picture than the ONS figures suggest.

But James Alexander, the Labour leader of York City Council, said the figures were “brilliant news” for his city.

“This shows the growing confidence in York’s growing economy, and the focus the council – working with businesses – has on jobs and economic growth,” he said. “We are rebalancing our economy from the public sector to private.”

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The figures come at the start of a crunch economic week for the Government, with quarterly GDP figures this Thursday set to reveal whether Britain has slipped into an unprecedented triple-dip recession.

Labour today set out a fresh line of attack, accusing the 
Government of targeting the 
most deprived areas of England for the deepest cuts in benefits, tax credits and council services, while protecting more affluent parts.

Analysis released by the party, conducted at Sheffield Hallam University, suggested the north of England and inner-city London are taking the brunt of cuts.

Labour said that while people in the South East are hit by cuts to local authority budgets and welfare changes to the tune of £292 per head, in Yorkshire the average is £421 per head.

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And in some of the most deprived areas of the region, the figure is higher still.

“Kingston-upon Hull faces a cut per head of £649, while in Kingston-on-Thames the figure is less than half at £301 per head,” a Labour spokesman said.

“And in Bradford in West Yorkshire, the figure is £571, while in Bradford on Avon it is £268.”

Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said the Government was “zeroing in on areas in need”, and “hitting them hard – twice.”

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“Communities facing the biggest hit to local government are also losing most from cuts to 
their tax credits and benefits,” he said.

The Government maintains local government and welfare funding have had to be cut back due to the huge budget deficit, and has put great stock in private sector growth picking up the slack by

creating the extra jobs required.

David Cameron frequently refers to figures suggesting more than a million private sector jobs have been created since 2010.

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions last night said the overall rise in private sector growth suggested by the new ONS figures was positive news for the region.

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“It’s good to see that in Yorkshire, like across the country, the number of people working in the private sector has been rising,” the spokesman said.

“It’s a tribute to those businesses who have continued to create jobs despite tough economic times.”

Business leaders in Bradford, which registered the third highest number of new jobs in the region, also welcomed the figures.

Stephen Wright, president of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said: “The figures reveal there 
still is good news out there and good things happening in business.

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“For Bradford to be third highest in the region for job creation is good news in anyone’s book.”

In neighbouring Leeds, however, council and business leaders insisted the private sector job
losses recorded in the ONS survey did not represent an accurate picture.

Coun Richard Lewis, executive member for the economy at Leeds City Council, said: “Leeds has one of the highest shares of total private sector employment of any major city in the country.

“Our own analysis of private sector jobs is based on a range of sources and doesn’t present as bleak a picture.”

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Mark Goldstone, head of policy at the Leeds, York and North 
Yorkshire Chambers of Commerce, added: “The ONS data does not paint a picture we recognise.

“Our own quarterly survey results indicate steady incremental growth in employment over the last two years in the parts of the region we cover.”

Harrogate Council also disputed the scale of its job losses, pointing to a fall in the number of people claiming jobseekers’ allowance over the same time period.