North-South economic divide widens over last decade

The
North-South economic divide is widening, according to a new study by the
University of Sheffield.

The
boom in banking and the financial sector has been so dramatic that it has
altered the country’s demographic balance in a decade, the study said.

Employment
has nearly all been created in the South, while 500,000 jobs have vanished in
skilled trades, mostly in the North.

The
survey also shows that the population is shifting, with skilled young people
moving towards London and 20 per cent of graduates living in the capital.

The
university analysed the 2001 census and found that people living in the South
are also likely to be better educated and earn more money than those from the
North.

By Mike Berry