ST ALBANS is the second best placed location in the country to deal with looming austerity measures, a report has found.

Experian ranked the city along with all 323 other local authorities in order of vulnerability to economic shocks such as business failures and job losses.

The report, which was commissioned by the BBC English Regions, found that areas in the north such as Middlesbrough and Mansfield were the least resilient to turbulence in the economy, while Elmbridge in Surrey followed by St Albans were the least likely to feel the pinch.

Data was gathered across four key themes covering business, people, place and the community. Rankings in the various sections included St Albans coming fourth for the number of pupils aged 16 to 19 with A to C grades, 16th in the data for highest house prices, 92nd for the least amount of crime and 171st for the amount of green space.

Bruno Rost, from Experian, said: “Whilst business strength and economic growth are important factors, consideration of other, wider aspects of local resilience gives a greater understanding of the ability of an area to bounce back.

“It is perhaps unsurprising that some of the least resilient areas in business terms are also those areas with lowest average earnings.”

Controller of BBC English Regions, David Holdsworth, said: “This information provides our audience with an economic MOT, helping them understand how strong their local areas are. This research and analysis suggests that there are areas much better placed than others to withstand the impact of public sector cuts, and other economic events.

“The study takes into account a wide range of factors to help build a complete picture in advance of the Spending Review in October.”