Last month Cornwall Live revealed the 17 neighbourhoods in the county which are among the 10% most deprived in the UK.

People in Cornwall scrape by on less than £14,300 a year on average and, alongside west Wales, the region receives more economic aid from the EU than any other part of the UK.

Over a quarter of children lived in poverty in Cornwall in 2016, and the county also has the third homelessness rate in the country. While unemployment levels aren’t particularly concerning in Cornwall, the problem has been replaced with ‘in-work’ poverty. This is due to the ‘gig’ economy in Cornwall, meaning many jobs are seasonal on low pay, while others are on a zero hours or short term contract basis.

Steps that should be taken, the reports says, include:

  • Create training opportunities for existing staff and those seeking employment
  • Improve basic skills for all such as numeracy & literacy
  • Higher availability of permanent work
  • Higher rates of pay
  • Improved means of transport & access to work e.g. more affordable, frequent and accessible public transport

Going forward, Cornwall's economic situation faces a period of uncertainty as Brexit looms. Alongside west Wales, the region receives more economic aid from the EU than any other part of the UK. Though it's not clear what will happen to these funds if we leave the EU, some experts say any loss will disproportionately affect poorer regions.

Read the full article by Mike Smallcombe about the Cornwall economy on CornwallLive