'People working in Barnsley get paid 10% less than the rest of the country'

https://www.buzzfeed.com/emilydugan...id-place-in-br?utm_term=.svGmkEDV4#.uf82dqKWZ

Interesting article, what are people's opinions who still live in Barnsley?

 

Do they work 10% less hard?

 

I honestly couldn't give a monkeys, I live to my means apart a mortgage I have no debt or loans, I've a few quid in my current account and isa, and I live a comfortable enjoyable life and don't really want for anything.

 

88.7% of statistics are made up on the spot

 

It doesn't surprise me, but as property prices are low (relatively) it balances out a bit. When I was working we often had new recruits from "darn sarf" commenting on salary levels, saying they were on the low side but their living costs were so cheap that in fact they were far better off.

Interesting choice of photos in that article though. I wonder if they were trying to create some sort of impression???????

 

As an outsider, I know that headlines like that are a gross oversimplification, but I still can't help thinking that I'd take a 10% pay cut for access to Barnsley's house prices and the pleasure of living close enough to justify a season ticket!

 

Try Cornwall. Minimum wage jobs but far higher house prices. Its when you look at articles like this and see an average wage of £10 an hour and you see BFC charging more than double that for pay on the day, or night clubs charging that for entry you start to get a feeling for where things don't add up.

 

It makes me quite angry

when I see the money that's been spent by the government where I live in South Derbyshire. A former mining area where the last pits closed in the early 1990s, the only difference between here and South Yorkshire being that here, the pits didn't come out on strike. The people here have been substantially rewarded for that at the expense of areas like Barnsley. It stinks.

 

I work for a major multinational in Rotherham, and the senior management are moving as much work as possible overseas or up to the Highlands (Inverness) - mainly because its cheaper. So I'm not convinced that the Barnsley area is the lowest paid in the country (although I have heard unsubstantiated rumours that the Scottish government are putting sweeteners in to subside wages for new jobs created in the Highlands).

I know from experience that South Yorkshire IT jobs often pay ~£5-10k less than the same jobs in Leeds or Manchester - although that equals out when you factor in travel and parking...

 

Re: It makes me quite angry

It still surprises me that so many people in the region voted Leave when the EU actually invested hundreds of millions in the area to generate jobs and the UK governments only recent investment seems to be a giant toy railway that isn't even going to stop in Sheffield.

 

strike

 

Re: It makes me quite angry

Good point, it may well be that a lot of the cash spent round here is EU money, but targeted by the government.... I think this area also voted leave.

 

Cheap rents and relatively cheap house prices though, the gap between wages and house prices is much higher elsewhere in the country.

This information was omitted from the article though, I'm guessing Buzzfeed is left-wing.

 

Re: It makes me quite angry

EU money is our money.

 

Re: It makes me quite angry

Of course.

 

I live here. It's kind of the impression I have.

I don't think the photo's misrepresent on balance.

It's hardly like the town is full of city gents in their bowlers or Victoria secrets models swanning around in their crackers is it.

 

But there are other areas as well with equally lower house prices, but Barnsley is still showing as paying less.

I moved to Nottingham last year and bought a 3-bed semi for £120k, so comparable to Barnsley prices - but a decent paid job and plenty of jobs about in the area.

 

Re: It makes me quite angry

Generate jobs... one of the biggest employers in barnsley outside of thenlocal authority is ASOS...

 

Re: It makes me quite angry

I was thinking more in terms of Manvers/Cortonwood and the other reclamation projects on the old pits and towards the Hoyland end of the Dearne Valley Parkway - most of those had significant EU funding didn't they? It does look like ASOS was self-funded, but not sure how many are employed there.

 

Asos employs somewhere between 3 and 5 thousand depending on business demands.

Manvers.... most of thats owned by craptia now isnt it...