NEWS | IN BRIEF
Unemployment rose faster in the country than in cities during the recent recession, according to the Commission for Rural Communities. The report said rural workers usually hold on to jobs during economic downturns, while those in town are more likely to be laid off. But in the crisis-hit second half of last year joblessness rose by 73 per cent to almost 250,000 people – around five per cent of the population. By comparison the unemployment level rose 39 per cent to 1.7m in urban areas.