ENCOURAGING STATISTICS SHOW PENRITH AND THE BORDER IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS DESPITE BREXIT

Rory Stewart, MP for Penrith and The Border, has welcomed new statistics suggesting the Cumbrian economy has experienced encouraging growth during July offsetting fears of a sharp economic downturn immediately post-Brexit.

Figures from the ONS show that there were 9,443 job postings in Cumbria during July, a rise of 599 from last quarter and 161 up from the same period last year. Similarly there has been 581 business start-ups in the county in the quarter to June, a rise of 46 from last quarter whilst average weekly earnings across the county have risen by 2.3% excluding bonuses.

The figures suggest that Cumbria continues to attract business investment and that new job postings across the county are providing employment in a wide range of industries, reflecting the increasing diversification of the local economy.

Rory said: “It is great news that the Cumbrian economy has shown such encouraging growth during the last month. This upward trend in the economy will hopefully filter down to improve the standard of living for people all across the county. It has also been good to see this helped by a strong tourism season, in the aftermath of the devastating floods. These statistics are particularly promising given the recent decision of the UK to leave the EU. Cumbria continues to be a diverse county which can adapt readily to changing circumstances and I hope that the hard-working people of the area will see first-hand the benefits of this growth.”