York ‘shrugging off the recession’

9:03am Monday 22nd March 2010 in York means business Photograph of the Author By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter

NEW figures have revealed how York shrugged off the recession last year, with 80 more businesses being launched than were closed down.

At the same time, the number of Civil Service jobs increased by 110 to 2,970 – almost double the number there were in 1997.

The statistics have been obtained by York MP Hugh Bayley, who said: “York has survived the recession better than any other city in the north of England.

“It is a lively place, full of enterprises who shrugged off the gloomy economic predictions and got on with business.

“York has a lot of natural advantages – good schools and colleges, a skilled workforce and a beautiful environment, which will help us bounce back from the recession more quickly than other places.”

The figures come after the latest unemployment figures showed an increase in the number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance in York in the last couple of months, albeit smaller rises than for the same period in 2009.

Mr Bayley was given the business and Civil Service figures by Stephen Penneck, the Director General of the Office of National Statistics.

“There were 80 more businesses enterprises in York in 2009 than one year before,” said Mr Bayley. “Over the decade from 2000 to 2009, the number of enterprises in York rose by 1,175 from 4,645 to 5,820.

“The number of civil servants in York increased by 110 in 2009. Between 1997, when Labour came to power, and 2009 the number of Civil Service jobs in York rose by 1,410 – almost doubling from 1,560 to 2,970 in total.”

The MP said that in a recession, public service jobs helped the economy to pull through because they were more secure than private employment, and civil servants’ spending power helped to create jobs in the private sector.

“I have fought hard to attract more Government jobs to York – such as the Defra jobs at Kings Pool and the Defence Vetting Agency. We have doubled the number of civil service posts in York since 1999,” he said.

Comments(6)

Garrowby Turnoff says...
11:49am Mon 22 Mar 10

This is the start of electioneering bunkum. Aren't we the lucky ones with 6 weeks of spin to sift through... or not.

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Elephant says...
12:43pm Mon 22 Mar 10

Propoganda. Many are trying businesses as an alternative to low pay and unemployment. The reality of these is that most of these won't survive (York has enough coffee shops) and existing small businesses will continue to struggle and fail. It's tough on the ground and things are going to continue to get worse post-election.

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Kiff says...
2:03pm Mon 22 Mar 10

We've "survived" the recession better then most only because we've had very little to loose in the first place.

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yorknights says...
5:37pm Mon 22 Mar 10

How right is Kiff--and tell the rest of your article to the increased amount of unemployed in the city you reported on last week,and add to this the number of boarded up shops,bankruptcies and abandoned building projects that are littering the city and it is apparent that the situaution here is much the same as it is anywhere else in the North.Official statistics can be manipulated and massaged by both local and national politicians in the run up to an election,but usually the electorate can see straight through this with the cynicism it deserves.The reality is that the well off will always stay well off and that York,far from being a confident and vibrant city,is a city which for most of the people who live in it is one which sits precariously on a slippery slope with most new buisnesses here today,gone tomorrow and no new jobs to move on to if you want to change your type of employment.Tourism hardly pays the rent with its range of minimum waged jobs,and for all its hype Science City jobs are usually specialised and go to outsiders who do them for a few years on the career ladder and then move on,leaving most of the people who live here with the poorly paid cleaners jobs.A long hard reality check is what is needed here,and less of the self deluding and self congratulatory hype from the councillors,MP,touri
st leaders and media.This way we might see REAL and POSITIVE change for the better,instead of just stupid back slapping.

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King Edward says...
6:54pm Mon 22 Mar 10

How do they 'know' 80 businesses were created? If you base this on companies registered at companies house, then you could account for a large number not running actual businesses, or empoying people. They could be be shell companies all owned by the same person(s) set up to evade tax and NI, and launder money. The director may not even be a UK national, let alone resident in York.

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euroinforitnow says...
7:27pm Mon 22 Mar 10

Kiff wrote:
We've "survived" the recession better then most only because we've had very little to loose in the first place.
Something's loose here. However, on the topic under discussion, I can only assume that you don't live in York and have never visited it.
The word you're looking for by the way, is "lose". Now sit up and pay attention at the back.

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