Local areas claimed to have higher employment rate differences

The greatest difference in employment rates are not between UK regions, one survey has suggested, but within the local areas of the same region.

A poll by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has discovered that London has the biggest variation in employment rates.

According to a small sample, the City boasts 100% employment of adults of a working age.

This is despite yesterday's poll by Monster which revealed finance and banking jobs have dropped considerably since the beginning of the year.

Other areas of the capital showed poorer results, with the Tower Hamlets area recording a working-age employment rate of 53.2%, the ONS claims.

Behind the City of London, Bromley was the second-best borough of the capital boasting high employment with a rate of 79%.

Outside of London, the highest proportion of working-age adults in jobs was found in the authority of Hart in Hampshire.

The North East and Wales were revealed to be the regions with the lowest difference between employment rates.

Both areas had only 14.7 points separating the areas with the highest and lowest employment rates.