Pandemic hits former coalfield areas hardest
The coronavirus pandemic has damaged a decade of work to help former coalfield areas like the North East, according to a new report.
Unemployment in former heavy industry areas is now above the levels experienced ten years ago says a study commissioned by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and the Industrial Communities Alliance – with the possibility of further redundancies to come. The study, carried out by Sheffield Hall am University’ s Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research found: *Between February and November, unemployment rose by 100,000 in former coalfield areas. *Unemployment among 16 to 24- year-olds roughly doubled. *The numbers on all outof-work benefits has reached almost one-in-six of all adults of working age. *The cumulative death rate in older industrial towns and the former coalfields was, on average 30 per cent above the UK average.
Peter McNestry, chairman of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, said: “Once again, we are left to try to pick up the pieces as our communities are hit hard by another crisis.
"After the major losses of industry throughout the coalfields, then 10 years of austerity, the effect of the pandemic cannot be ignored. “This report provides the evidence in black and white that more needs to be done if our residents are ever to have a chance of moving forward. “The Government needs to keep levelling up firmly on the agenda and rather than talk about change, make it happen.
"We urge the Government to focus on these forgotten communities, those most in need, before it is too late.”