A NORTH-EAST town has been named among the UK's best towns and cities for employment surpassing the likes of Belfast, Birmingham and Leeds.

Based on the type of opportunities available, the current cost of living and job satisfaction, Darlington has been rated 11th best out of Britain's top 25 places to work.

Research led by worldwide recruitment website, Glassdoor, said the town had a job satisfaction rating of 70 percent - similar to that in Liverpool, Coventry and Manchester.

Meanwhile, based on its job posting statistics, figures revealed there were currently 4,300 jobs open across the town.

Helping to keep Darlington within the top 25, Glassdoor found salaries in Darlington averaged at £21,326 per year - 22nd on the list when it came to best wages.

The town was the only North-East place to reach the top 25 and was named Glassdoor's "biggest climber" based on previous years.

Amanda Stansell, senior research analyst at Glassdoor, said: "Our latest report shows that companies are continuing to look outside of the big cities to set up offices and recruit local talent, in part driven by ever improving access, favourable rents and salaries.

The Northern Echo: Amazon is recruiting for more than 1,000 vacancies in Darlington Picture: SARAH CALDECOTTAmazon is recruiting for more than 1,000 vacancies in Darlington Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

“The growth in flexible working also means employees are no longer spending every day, 9-5, in the office, meaning the location of the company is less important than it once was.

"Companies can get away with not having offices in the larger, expensive cities - like London - as employees are prioritising flexibility and convenience over the prestige of an office address.”

The UKs top 5 cities 

Slough in Berkshire topped Glassdoor's list as the best place to work in the UK for 2020, followed by Cambridge, Gloucester, Guildford and Reading.