Workers in Liverpool become some of the poorest in the UK in 2019

ACCORDING to the latest research from leading independent job board, CV-Library. The data reveals that a slight dip in pay and rising living costs mean that those living and working in Liverpool are far worse off than professionals in Aberdeen, Hull and Edinburgh; who are officially the richest in the UK. Comparing the same basic living costs against average salaries in 18 of the UK's key Cities, the study reveals professionals working in Liverpool have become some of the poorest workers in Britain in 2019. In addition to this, the study explored the average cost of purchasing a 1 bed flat, within each of these UK Cities, has reveals the percentage of monthly income that would need to be spent on mortgage repayments is highest in London, at 95.6%, while those in Liverpool would only need to pay 22.6%.  CV-Library also found that workers in Liverpool have the 6th lowest disposable income, while professionals in:- Aberdeen, Hull and Edinburgh have the highest. The highest monthly costs are in:- London, Brighton and Bristol, while the lowest are in Hull, Glasgow and Aberdeen.  This means Liverpool remains fairly in the middle, Liverpool is actually the 7th least expensive City to rent in, with the average 1 bed flat costing ₤655.42 per month, compared to ₤1,644.94 in London. However, this is still a lot lower than in Hull (₤496.67)

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library comments:- "It's clear from our findings that the North/South divide still very much remains here in the UK; particularly when it comes to pay and living costs. Companies are certainly under pressure to offer fair salaries that reflect the cost of living in their location and that's why it's important to factor this in when negotiating on pay with an existing or future employer. Living beyond your means can be extremely stressful so stay in tune with average costs in the town or City that you live and work in."

The study is conducted on an annual basis and reveals some fluctuations in findings over the past 12 months. It reviled that disposable income has increased the most in the following locations:- Brighton (41%), Edinburgh (27%), Aberdeen (15%) and Portsmouth (9%) However, it has dropped by 10%, in Liverpool, and a further 42%, in London, 17% in Birmingham and 13% in Glasgow. In fact Liverpool has dropped by 7 places; conversely, Edinburgh has gone up 11 places.

Biggins added that:- "We know that these are uncertain times and it's interesting to note that pay has gone up in a lot of major Cities across the UK; and Liverpool has experienced a marginal increase. At the same time, costs are rising in other areas: from travel and living, to a pint of your favourite tipple down the pub. Knowing how to manage your money is crucial and always a good focal point to think about when starting your job search in the New Year."

More than 9,000 people in the North West are homeless, with others at risk

THE UK charity Shelter's extensive analysis of official rough sleeping and temporary accommodation figures shows the number of homeless people in the Region has increased by a massive 117% since 2016 when the charity 1st published its landmark annual report. For the 1st time, the charity's review of Government data has also exposed that close to 28,000 people in the North West were threatened with homelessness in 2018. Despite being the most comprehensive overview of homelessness in the country, it's widely known that a lot of homelessness goes undocumented, including sofa surfing and some rough sleeping. This means the true level of homelessness will be even higher than the figurers. Shelter is warning that unless the new Government takes urgent action to address the dire lack of social homes at the crux of this emergency, the situation is likely to get worse. Alongside its bid to get more social housing built, the charity is calling on the public to support its frontline workers as they grapple with huge demand this Christmas. In 2018, a call was made to Shelter's emergency helpline every 44 seconds and its free webchat service was used almost 26,000 times.

John Ryan, Shelter Manchester hub manager, said:- "Homelessness blights lives and leaves a lasting imprint of trauma, and yet more than 9,000 people in the North West are without a home this Christmas. And many are only days away from joining them. As well as those facing serious ill-health or even death sleeping rough on our streets this winter, there are too many families trapped in grotty emergency B&B's, with no space for children to sit and eat, let alone play. This is the grim truth our new Government must confront and do something radical to change. Until the Government acts to stem this crisis, the work of our frontline advisers remains critical. With the public's support we will do everything we can to help people find a safe and stable place to live; no matter how long it takes."

The charity's report:- 'This is England: a picture of homelessness in 2019,' identifies the areas where homelessness is most acute in the North West. Manchester; which is feeling the full force of the housing emergency in the North of England; topped the list with 1 in 102 people now homeless, followed by Salford and Tameside.​ To donate to Shelter's urgent Christmas appeal please visit:- Shelter.Org.UK or text:- 'SHELTER' to 70030 to donate ₤3. Texts cost your standard network rate + ₤3. Shelter receives 100% of your donation.

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