PEOPLE living in some of the districts most deprived areas are most at risk of losing their job due to Covid-19 – Council bosses will be told.

Around 29 per cent of workers who live in Manningham and City ward are “at risk employees” who face being made redundant due to the economic impact of Covid – 19.

New estimates looking at the impact of Coronavirus will be discussed at a meeting of Bradford Council’s Executive next week, and show that workers living in Bradford Moor, Bowling and Barkerend and Keighley Central are also among the most likely to lose their jobs, with more people in these areas working in sectors that have been hardest hit by the lockdown.

However, a report to the Executive also says that the area of the District with the most “at risk jobs” is Ilkley.

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There, one in three jobs could be at risk due to the number of business in the town being in the retail, hospitality or leisure sector – an area that has effectively had to pause, and may struggle to re-start in time to benefit from the usual summer boost.

Other wards with large number of “high risk” jobs are Worth Valley, Wibsey, Wharfedale, Keighley East and Baildon.

The figures are based on the Office of National Statistics’ Business Impact of Coronavirus Survey, and are included in a report to the Executive on how Bradford is coping with the current pandemic, and ways it could recover post lockdown.

Across the District, 60 per cent of businesses in the District had either temporarily closed or paused trading due to lockdown.

When it comes to the hospitality industry (bars, theatres, restaurants etc) 94 per cent have had to temporarily close.

The report says: “Analysis of employees at risk reveals that the greatest impacts are on those living in inner city and more deprived parts of Keighley and Bradford centre, although they may be employed outside of those areas.

“The areas that are most at risk are also have the highest levels of deprivation on the Index of Multiple Deprivation.”

The report adds: “There has been a significant impact on the district’s economy. Around 34,000 employees in Bradford District work in industries directly affected by the lockdown according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data which is 16.6 per cent of total employees in employment.

“An online survey of 489 Bradford District businesses between 23rd and 30th of April found that 60 per cent of all businesses had temporarily closed or paused trading.”

Many businesses, however, were adapting by moving to online sales or new ways of working.

Supporting businesses in their recovery is one of the main priorities for the Council in the coming weeks, the report says.

This will include helping them to safely re-open by introducing social distancing measures in town and city centres, help businesses prepare for new ways of working, and offer support to prepare for Brexit.