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Report reveals 'at-risk' cities

Many UK cities will be hit harder than they think by the recession, with regions outside the South East likely to suffer the most, according to a new report.

A study by research group Centre for Cities (who had some interesting ideas about the North East last year) placed a number of cities on “red” alert for being exposed the most to the impact of the downturn, including Belfast, Liverpool, Wigan and Hull, because of the number of residents who were unemployed or had no qualifications.

Cities on “amber” alert included Bristol, London and Edinburgh, which all had strengths such as skilled populations and diverse industries but also weaknesses including exposure to vulnerable financial services.

Dermot Finch, Director of the Centre for Cities, said: “UK cities will be hit harder than they think by this recession. Nearly all say they are well-placed to weather the storm - but they can’t all be right. The recession will hit our cities in different ways - and some will be hit worse than others.

“Bristol will lose a lot of financial services jobs, but many of its workers are highly-skilled and adaptable. Hull looks vulnerable, because many of its residents are relatively under-skilled and may find it hard to adjust.

“Cities will lead us out of recession - but they can’t just rely on action from Whitehall. Each city needs its own front-line action plan, to keep jobs and retrain workers - and more powers over economic development.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .