THE chances of finding work in the North-East have fallen, a report has said.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) says the Government must do more to close a North-South divide after the North-East saw a 0.6 per cent drop in the likelihood of people gaining employment.

It said the region sits alongside the West Midlands, the North-West and the South-West to see job opportunities decrease.

The figures come despite 780,000 workers finding jobs across the country since 2010 and employment rates increasing the highest in Yorkshire and the Humber and the East Midlands.

TUC bosses have urged the Government to help create jobs in every region, rather than concentrating on London and the South-East.

Frances O’Grady, TUC general secretary, said: “The growing population has meant record levels of employment for much of the last two decades.

“However, despite the return of growth the chance of having a job has actually fallen in much of England since 2010.

“The City of London may have caused the crash but the capital’s job market has been the most resilient over the last five years.

“Instead, other areas have borne the brunt of recession, with people’s chances of being in work are barely any better today than they were after the last recession in the early 1990s.

“While it’s great that jobs are created being in London and the South-East, stronger job creation is needed throughout the country.

“We need more well-paid jobs, as well as better wage rises for those already in work, if the UK’s 30 million strong workforce is to get a fair share of the benefits of recovery.”