North to be worst hit by slowdown

North to be worst hit by slowdown

THE SLOWDOWN in manufacturing will cost some 350,000 jobs and plunge large parts of northern Britain into outright recession, a survey warned yesterday. In its latest regional report, Business Strategies said there would be a marked north-south divide, with employment falling most sharply in the North-east and West Midlands, and these two regions forecast to be in recession next year along with Yorkshire and the Humber. Scotland would buck the trend, protected by its strength in electronics and call centres, while London and the South-east would suffer the lowest job losses.