Why Preston can pull us out of this slump
Author: Paul SwinneyDate: 15/06/2010
Publication: Lancashire Evening Post
The Government is currently setting out public spending savings for the coming years and part of this savings drive will mean fewer public service jobs.
Now, more than ever, cities in England need to generate private sector jobs, but as the report released by Centre for Cities last week showed, some places, such as Preston, are in a much better position to do this.
Even with the sharp increase in public sector jobs in the ten years before the recession, some cities were still not able to generate enough jobs for their residents.
Many had below-average employment rates meaning 620,000 extra posts would have been required to increase the employment rate of lagging cities to the national average and, in Blackburn alone, this amounted to 7,000 jobs.
Politicians often say that jobs are available for those that are prepared to accept them, but unfortunately our statistics show that this simply is not true as in Wigan, for example, there were four unemployed people for every vacancy in 2008.
However, Preston has been a strong performer in recent years, partly because of its strong motorway links and its position on the West Coast Main Line rail network.
It added around 17,000 private sector jobs to its economy between 1998 and 2008, and has proved relatively resilient during the recession and expansion should be supported in places like Preston to help people access job opportunities where they are being created.
This does not mean cutting off support to city economies with a tougher outlook, these places remain viable commercial centres and provide jobs for sizeable workforces, and local businesses still need to be encouraged and supported.
But the regeneration goals for cities like Blackburn and Bolton must be realistic and this means focusing on improving the quality of life for residents rather than aiming to expand.
A strong drive to improve skill levels among the local working age population – while recognising that job opportunities for these local residents may be found further afield.
Residents increasingly need to commute to other towns and cities like Manchester and Preston where there are more jobs and this approach means a shift in thinking to one which will unlock the potential of all cities in Lancashire.
This article first appeared in the Lancashire Evening Post.
