How has industry/employment changed in your home town/city?

I live in Cambridge, It has always been mainly Hi-tec companies, mainly due to the universities, A lot of 1000+ employers have gone, well they have just opened factories in china. We have a few science parks.

I have mentioned to you previously about the economic effects on my homestead, Teesside, and the socio-economic ramifications the closures of collieries and ship-building industries that reverberate there today. Basically, My home town will always be in this quagmire following the loss of industry. There is very limited scope for industry there now and as an engineer, my prospects are all but non-existent without much experience. So Teesside, in my opinion, as well as being run-down in parts, is also suffering a 'brain-drain' as there is simply no schemes or incentives for the educated people in their 20s to stay. Add to this the high dependence on the high street shops, of which the massive Woolworths is a spectre right in the centre of the town. In short, it has always been bleak, and although I acknowledge the realistic reasons why Thatcher closed the aforementioned industries, the manner in which it was done has, in my view, forever condemned many parts of the North to poor, uninspiring, and prospect-free.

My tiny home-town in podunk-land has grown a great deal since I was a child... it's weird to see. It has fast-food restaurants now and a couple of hotels! Our town was a farming community and still is. There is oil there too which has drawn a great deal of wealth into the town.

Well I don't really need to outline what happened to my city during the 80's, it was played out on a national stage. I've been thinking about this Q for a while and tying to articulate what Liverpool is now. Its easier to say what it was rather than what it is. That it has been reborn is undoubtable.But whereas before it was huge employers either through the docks or motor industry and Industrial companies generally, it's now service,entertainment, tourism and 'niche' industries. It's certainly a more secure set up for a long term future rather than whole communities at the mercy of one industry or employer. Not that I can bear to think of those times without baulking at the wholesale destruction of my city by the then government.( I suspect you and Oms would disagree with me in this matter but I stand resolute and determined grr grrr...lol) Economically things have changed drastically in the last 10 years. There is real wealth evident and all the trapping that go with that. We still suffer from the population exodus that started in the late 70's. Things are slowly changing though. People are definitely staying. Liverpool uni always did 'keep' the highest number of post grads amongst British unis outside London anyway, but the indigenous population are also now starting to stay. It's definitly better but I'm glad it didn't happen sooner. Crappy town planning lessons were learnt before the design of LiverpoolONE. I'll be honest I haven't got any really informed opinions as to the whys of Liverpool's resurgence nor the long term effects I've just enjoyed watching it. I would like to point out that we are actually the home of Lambrini and I doubt anyone can top that ;-)