On Air Now Nick Osborne 10:00am - 3:00pm Taylor Swift - Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version) Schedule

Brighton, Worthing and Crawley In Top Eight South-East Areas Harmed By Covid-Related Unemployment

Brighton Royal Pavilion (Photograph: Michael Coppins / Creative Commons)

A think-tank has said that Crawley, Brighton and Worthing are among the south-east's worst-hit areas as Covid-19 risks "levelling down" the region's economy.

Though Slough faces the biggest challenge in the region, the Centre for Cities claimed Crawley, Worthing and Brighton are also in the top eight large towns or cities that face big challenges.

The organisation particularly called on the Government to boost Universal Credit, help people back into work and support the South East’s urban centres. 

The conclusions came in the Centre for Cities’ annual study of the UK’s major urban areas – Cities Outlook 2021.

Its report outlined that, since last March, there has been what it called an "unprecedented rise" in people claiming unemployment-related benefits in the South East compared to the rest of the country.

Across the South East’s largest cities and towns the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits has increased by 3.5% – outpacing the national average of 3.3%.

In the rankings, Crawley and Brighton took second and third place, with Worthing in eighth place — at the top of the damage list was Slough.

Rank City Percentage point reduction
in unemployment needed
to rebuild and improve the economy
1 Slough 5.6
2 Crawley 5.5
3 Brighton 3.9
4 Chatham 3.7
5 Milton Keynes 3.5
6 Southampton 3.3
7 Portsmouth 3.3
8 Worthing 3.1
9 Aldershot 3.0
10 Reading 2.9
11 Oxford 2.4

Figures in the table are from the Office for National Statistics' Claimant count 2020, with population estimates from 2019.

The Centre for Cities is using the statistics to emphasise its call for government assistance for hard-hit areas.

A spokesperson said:

"While, in the medium-term, many places in the South East are better placed to bounce back from the pandemic than elsewhere, in the short-term the Government must act fast to prevent a levelling down of these places that the whole UK depends on to create jobs and fund public services.

"The pandemic has also made the Government’s promise to level up cities and towns of Northern England and the Midlands four times more difficult. 634,000 more people outside the Greater South East now need to find secure, well-paid jobs to level up the country, compared to 170,000 in March."

The think-tank has made a series of urgent requests of Chancellor Rishi Sunak:

•    Making permanent the £20 rise in Universal Credit.
•    Supporting jobless people to find new good jobs.
•    Consider the merits of a renewed Eat Out to Help Out scheme for hospitality and non-online retailers once it is safe.

After the pandemic, it further wants the government to finance:

•    Further education to train jobless people for good roles in emerging industries.
•    Making city centres better places for high-skilled businesses to locate.
•    Improvements to transport infrastructure in city-regions. 

Centre for Cities Chief Executive Andrew Carter said:

“At the last election the Government pledged to level up the North and Midlands, but now there is a very real risk that previously prosperous cities and towns in the South East could be levelled down – at least in the short-term.

"This will have damaging consequences for the whole country, which depends on places in the South East to create jobs and fund public services.

"Stopping the South East’s levelling down and helping the North and Midlands recover will not be cheap and will require more than short-term handouts.

"Government support and investment for new businesses in emerging industries will be essential, as will spending on further education to train people to do the good-quality jobs created.” 

More from Sussex News

Your News

It’s easy to get in touch with the More Radio News team.

Add you phone number if you would like us to call you back