Borough workers among lowest paid

Telford workers are among the lowest earning in the country, new figures today reveal.

They show the average gross weekly pay is £399 - way below the national average of £484. This is in stark contrast to London which has the highest average weekly take home income at £626. In comparison, Telford's weekly earnings rank among the bottom five in the country.

Telford workers' wages are above only Blackpool (£398), Burnley (£391), Hastings (£378) and Hull (£354).

Separate inflation-adjusted figures show average earnings in Telford have fallen to one of the lowest in the country in the last three years.

The weekly wage is down £31 from £399 in 2006 to £368 in 2009 - in real terms after inflation - a drop of 2.6 per cent.

But the employment rate remains high at 75.3 per cent in Telford & Wrekin - above the national average of 74 per cent.

The data forms part of a new report by think-tank Cities for Centres which warned the recession has widened the gap between the UK's city economies.

Entitled, Cities Outlook 2010, it said Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country was one of five "big-hitter" city regions poised to lead Britain to economic recovery.

The 2.8 million-strong city region - which includes Telford & Wrekin - had the potential to stimulate employment and sustainable growth, it said.

Telford MP David Wright said: "This shows we have got to attract more high-paying companies into the town.

"That means we have got to invest in the infrastructure of the town and we have got to invest in the people through skills training.

"The worst thing we could do at the moment is cut off public spending."

Dermot Finch, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: "The next Government needs to help these struggling cities fix the basics - like improving schools and public transport so they can attract new business and jobs."