Recession hits Britain's pockets town by town

uSwitch.com's regional recession index reveals that the global economic meltdown is not a level playing field in Britain as every location has a different story to tell. Swindon has been ranked the hardest hit area in the country with unemployment soaring by 197% following the closure of several large manufacturing plants in the area. In stark contrast, Brent is ranked the number one recession proof area with a 12% increase in earnings from £22,506 to £25,220 and council tax increases of just 1.9%.

To identify the regional winners and losers in the current economic crisis, uSwitch.com has examined; salary levels, unemployment, property prices and council tax across 98 of the largest local authorities in Britain over the past two years. These have been ranked according to how hard they have been hit by the recession.

Top of the flops - five hardest hit

Swindon has seen the biggest decline in the last year. House prices have plunged by 16% topped with the highest increase in the number of people claiming job seekers allowance in the country. Just over 3% of Swindon's residents are currently claiming benefits, jumping from 1,926 to 5,726 in just 12 months. Rhondda, in the Welsh Valleys, also takes silver medal for all the wrong reasons. With an increase of 105% in unemployment benefits claimants, council tax bills up by 5% and a 13.5% drop in house prices from £97,932 to £84,712 which means things are pretty grim. The situation for these weathered residents could get far worse if the Royal Mint's plans for privatisation reach fruition as further job losses will be on the horizon.

The toughest survive

On the flip side, Brent is flying high in the face of adversity becoming this year's highest climber in the regional rankings. This is due to 12% salary increases and an increase of just 1.9% in council tax bills - this is below the average council tax increase of 2.5%. Sefton and Enfield follow closely in joint second place as the most recession proof spots. For Sefton, this is thanks to a 7% boost in average earnings and just 46% more people claiming JSA - this is 20% below the average increase in the country.