Big cities outside the South East have been hardest-hit by the recession, according to new research.
Analysis by the Work Foundation found Birmingham had seen the largest increase as unemployment figures leapt from 33,274 in February 2008 to 45,657 in February 2009 – an increase of 12,383.
Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester have all seen sharp rises in the amount of people claiming unemployment benefit.
The sharp increases ranged from 2% to 7% of the population and, ahead of the Budget, the group warned ministers to look beyond London.
‘Policy-makers ignore how recessions play out locally at their peril,’ said Naomi Clayton, senior researcher at the Work Foundation.
10 ways councils are making budgets go further
Discover 10 ways councils are stretching budgets further, from digital transformation and energy efficiency to community partnerships and data-driven decision-making.
