BASINGSTOKE and Deane, along with Hart has been recognised as two hot beds of employment in the south east, according to new figures.

A new study undertaken by trade union GMB Southern shows that 14 areas in the South East are falling below the average rate of employment in the UK.

However, Hart tops the list of most people employed in the area with 87.1 per cent of people living in the district currently working.

Leader of Hart District Council, councillor David Neighbour said: “We are really pleased to be identified as the district with the highest employment rate in the south east. With a highly skilled population and great transport links, many choose Hart as a great place to live, whilst providing the opportunities to work either inside and outside the district.

“Hart has several global head offices and regional headquarters functions, with noticeable concentrations of employment in digital technology and professional service sectors.

“However we’re still ambitious and are currently consulting on our Economic Development Action Plan with a view to helping all businesses in the district including the considerable untapped potential within the district.”

Neighbouring district Basingstoke and Deane was also praised in the study with 84 per cent of the people living in the borough currently in employment.

Leader of the borough council, councillor Clive Sanders (pictured), said: “We continue to maintain high levels of employment in the borough because of a diverse business base and jobs available at all levels. There are a wealth of career choices available in the borough with over 7,580 companies providing 79,000 jobs from pharmaceuticals, IT and financial services to engineering and manufacturing.

“We are working hard with our partners to ensure we have the appropriate skills, facilities and infrastructure in place to meet the needs of both existing and new companies to maintain and improve this high employment level.”

The GMB study found the areas not meeting the national average included Portsmouth, Southampton, Maidstone, the Isle of Wight, Guildford and Gosport.