City economies pick up — but still trail nationally

THE economies of the North East's biggest towns and cities have improved over the last year but remain at the bottom end of a national table, a new study suggests.

- GRAEME WHITFIELD Journal editor

The Demos-PwC Good Growth for Cities Index ranks 50 of the UK’s largest cities outside London based on 12 economic measures that include income, work-life balance, skills and numbers of new businesses. The rankings are based on a survey of the public and official data.

All three assessed areas of the North East ~ Newcastle; Sunderland; and Middlesbrough and Stockton - were in the bottom 10 of the table, though they all had improved scores compared to last year. York tops the Good Growth list, followed by Edinburgh, Bristol and Exeter.

Newcastle was ranked 42nd out of 50 UK cities, scoring well on work-life balance and transport but less well on new businesses and skills.