WORKERS in Lancashire are paid lower wages than people in other parts of the country, according to a new report.

And the latest figures show that wage and income levels in the county are likely to continue falling.

The signs also point to a fall in the number of people in full-time work.

More work is going to women, while the number of traditional male jobs continues to fall dramatically.

There is also a move to more part-time and temporary work instead of traditional full-time jobs.

The worrying statistics are in a report put together by Lancashire County Council's economic intelligence unit in Preston.

The detailed document gives an up to date guide on the state of the county's economy along with a wide range of facts and figures.

The reports claims people in Lancashire earn eight per cent less than the national average.

Men in Lancashire get paid an average weekly wage of £335.80 before tax, compared to £374.60 nationally. The average weekly wage for women in the county is £240, compared to £269.80 nationally. And household budgets in Lancashire are on average 12 per cent lower than the rest of the country.

The experts believe the national economy is starting to show signs of improvement, particularly in the service sector.

But the North West, and particularly Lancashire, is still struggling to keep abreast of the rest of the country.

Industry and and manufacturing is continuing to feel the affects of the recession of the late 1980s.

On a more positive note, the number of people registered as unemployed has fallen in recent years.

County councillor George Slynn, planning, industrial and development chairman, said: "There is news of hopeful developments on a number of fronts as the county continues to recover from the consequences of recent recession.

"But the slow leakage of employment from traditional industry, sluggish levels of new inward and indigenous investment, the quality of some recent job creation and the rate of modernisation and investment in rival parts of the country are factors which should be constantly borne in mind."

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