TUC Conference: `Two-speed' economy in UK

TUC Conference

`Two-speed' economy in UK

BRITAIN HAS a "two-speed" economy, with manufacturing in recession and parts of the service sector still enjoying substantial growth, according to analysis of official figures by the Trades Union Congress (TUC). Congress House officials also say there is a regional disparity far more complex than the old north-south divide. Many areas in the north and Midlands and in Wales and Scotland have prosperous economies and low unemployment. Well-off Britain spreads over 15 counties, mainly in the east and south. However, unemployment in London was as high as in the north-east, and many coastal areas of southern England have much higher jobless rates than Manchester or Leeds.