DARLINGTON saw one of the biggest declines out of all UK commuter towns during the pandemic, a new report has found.

Card payment provider Dojo analysed which commuter towns and nearby cities in the UK have seen the slowest movement and growth during the Covid-19 pandemic.

With a high number of businesses embracing home-working and reducing the number of days required in the office, many city workers are willing to live further away from their place of work and relocate.

Despite Darlington house prices increasing by 6.28 per cent in 2020, the number of sales saw a slow increase from January to November.

Job vacancies increased slightly in the area but were still low in comparison to other towns at only 8.7 vacancies for every 1,000 people.

Salaries saw a slow progression compared to other towns at an 8.73 per cent increase.

Footfall also saw a decline with people working from home for example transit station's footfall decreased by -26.61 per cent in the town.

Average activity in Darlington workplaces was 30 per cent below normal levels in the week commencing July 19.

The research was based on the change in property prices and number of sales in the area; job vacancies; the average wage of employees and footfall - from the station to the workplace.

Each data point was then scored and compared to the previous year to discover the percentage increase in growth for commuter towns.

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