There's work in eliminating jobs

THEY say it’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good, and it seems the recession could be the force that finally tips the North-South see-saw in favour of our region.

But as well as boosting the overall business climate of the North East in the long-term future, the economic downturn has also given a short-term lift to a number of the region’s companies.

Replacing humans with machines has been a trend to come out of the recession and, as firms cut back on staff expenditure, North East technology companies have reaped the rewards.

Gateshead touch-screen maker Zytronic has enjoyed surging sales in its Zypos product as banks and other businesses swap staff for automation.

Meanwhile, Newcastle’s UK Biometrics has witnessed growing demand for its CCTV systems from firms struggling to pay for overnight security guards.

And, among other recession-proof businesses, pastry empire Greggs has seen like-for-like sales rise 2% after introduction of a lower-priced food and drink range.