According to new research, Milton Keynes has seen the strongest rate of employment growth over the last 10 years.
Milton Keynes ranked above Portsmouth, Brighton, Derby and Southampton in a study conducted by think tank Centre for Cities.
However, the most improved towns and cities tended to be in the north of England. Dermot Finch, director of Centre for Cities, said: “Cities like Warrington and Doncaster are on the up, but need to sustain this momentum over many years if they are going to catch up with the likes of York and Milton Keynes.”
But according to ClickAJob’s chief executive Yngve Traberg, location is no longer an issue.
“With an online presence, it doesn’t matter where you are,” he said. “The focus for business is on the web and all you need is access. It’s a great way to even the odds. With the right idea, a small business based deep in the country has just as much clout as a corporate with a prestige London address.”
According to the study, some of the UK’s richest cities are home to many of Britain’s poorest paid workers. London contains the highest net worth individuals but in 2006, 30 per cent of its working-age adults were not in employment, compared to 26 per cent nationally.
The Centre for Cities is an independent urban policy research organisation funded by the Gatsby Foundation. The full report can be found at http://www.centreforcities.org/uploadedFiles/CitiesOutlook.pdf
