Region 'most hit' by job losses

Up to 21,000 jobs could be lost in Hull and East Yorkshire because of the economic downturn, a report has warned.

About 8% of the area's workforce is at risk over a period from now until 2012, according to research by the Local Government Association (LGA).

The area is expected to be one of the worst hit by job cuts outside London.

The document's authors found that nearby Lincoln and Newark were less likely to suffer job losses in the looming recession.

The report analysed the structure of each English region's economy, its performance over the past two years and its performance during the last two recessions.

'Unique mixture'

Edward Welsh, from the LGA, said: "What our research found is that north of the Humber is going to do far worse than south of the Humber.

"It's difficult to draw a particular conclusion about what it is about the special unique mixture of Hull and the area around it that's adversely affecting their economy.

"What we do know is that certain industries are not going to do so well. We know that construction and manufacturing suffer but we know that farming is going to do well and that I suspect has some impact on that part of the world."

The LGA, which represents councils in England, is calling for as many economic decisions as possible to be taken at a local level to ensure that local solutions can be found to local problems.

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