Workers in Bradford are worse paid and have a lower rate of car ownership than other parts of the country.

But according to a new survey houses are cheaper in Bradford and the district is one of a handful of urban areas with a growing population.

The analysis, carried out by Bradford Training and Enterprise Council, showed Bradford was the fourth biggest metropolitan district in the country behind Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield.

It said the number of people living in the district was expected to rise by 25,000, or six per cent, to nearly 511,000 by 2011 compared to a growth rate of only 0.6 per cent in other city areas.

Bradford also had a relatively young population with nearly 24 per cent aged under 16 compared to 20 per cent in the rest of the country.

The survey showed wages across a range of occupations were generally lower than other major towns and cities in the country, in particular the South East.

Salaries in central London were typically more than 50 per cent higher for clerical and office staff than in Bradford and up to 60 per cent higher for production workers.

Latest statistics showed 27 per cent of 181,500 people in the workforce were in the manufacturing sector, compared to 18 per cent nationally, while service industries accounted for 69 per cent of workers compared to 75 per cent nationally.

Traditional industries, including textiles and heavy engineering, remained important but were a declining part of the local economy while growth sectors included electronics, financial and business services, retailing and telephone-based services.

The company with by far the biggest turnover was the Morrison supermarket chain while the biggest exporter was Allied Colloids, now Ciba.

Figures also showed Bradford had the cheapest property both within Yorkshire and the rest of the country.

But costs in Ilkley, Bingley and surrounding areas were considerably higher.

The average price of a semi-detached home was more than £18,000 lower than the national average.

Fewer households had cars than in other parts of the country, with two in five having no car at all.

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