THOUSANDS of jobs across Sussex are at risk due to the coronavirus crisis.

A report by the Centre for Cities think tank claims some towns will be hit harder than most, especially if their economies rely on exports.

The institute says a higher proportion of jobs in Crawley could be furloughed or cut completely than in any other city or major town in the UK.

More than half of the town’s jobs are vulnerable to Covid-19’s immediate economic impact, in large part due to the 18 per cent of residents who work in aviation, the report states.

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Naturally many of those already unemployed are turning to Crawley’s charities for help.

One of those is the Easter Team, a volunteer group delivering food parcels to the vulnerable.

The Argus: Easter Team volunteers in Crawley are scrambling to help those left unemployed by the coronavirus crisisEaster Team volunteers in Crawley are scrambling to help those left unemployed by the coronavirus crisis

“We have seen an increase as a result of Covid-19,” said chairwoman Sharon Golightly.

“On a typical week we usually feed 40 to 50 but it’s already gone up to 80 to 100.”

Ms Golightly fears demand will only increase in the future as airlines struggle to get back on their feet.

And she worries Crawley’s small charity sector will come under increasing pressure.

“We’re don't have a Trussell Trust food bank,” she said.

“We’re a very small charity and usually we only rely on donations.

“But we’re going to have to look for grants if the number keeps increasing.

“I think we’re going to see a greater peak further down the line.

“It will take a very long time for travel to return to normal, just like after September 11.”

The Argus: Almost a fifth of all jobs in Crawley are in the aviation sectorAlmost a fifth of all jobs in Crawley are in the aviation sector

The Centre for Cities agrees, claiming Crawley will face the “most severe challenges” to recover in the country.

But Brighton will also be hit hard, the institute predicts.

Though a third of the city’s jobs are unaffected or experiencing higher demand, another third are at risk to the pandemic’s immediate effects.

With tourism, leisure, and hospitality kneecapped by the crisis, food banks are already scrambling to help those affected.

The Brighton and Hove Food Partnership is spending £10,000 a week to provide emergency packages for those in need.

High demand is nothing new for many of the city’s charities but many are having to deal with unprecedented requests.

“All the food banks were already in crisis before Covid-19,” said partnership officer Helen Starr-Keddle.

“In the week before last 1,500 packages were delivered but it’s probably more than that now.

The Argus: Food bank demand has tripled across Brighton since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to the Brighton and Hove Food PartnershipFood bank demand has tripled across Brighton since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership

"It’s hard to say if this is going to get worse, but this isn’t going anywhere.

"When lockdown ends people will still be unemployed, the benefits system will be overwhelmed.

"We’ve got an emergency hotline with the council to provide food to people who need it right away because they’re so hungry.”

Brighton Business Improvement District chief executive Gavin Stewart is also worried about the virus’s long-term economic effects.

He fears it could take the tourism industry a while to recover.

“Even before the pandemic with Brexit on the horizon there were issues with our economy,” he said.

“We’re so reliant on tourism and leisure in this city we were already seeing a bit of a wobble.

"But we’re already starting to think about what life is going to look like at the other side.

"Brighton is a great tourism destination, but it will be interesting to see in terms of leisure and tourism whether people’s behaviours change after this.

"What if people don’t want to be in places where there are lots of people around like Brighton?”

The Argus: Brighton Business Improvement District chief Gavin Stewart said rent is a major concern for firms in the cityBrighton Business Improvement District chief Gavin Stewart said rent is a major concern for firms in the city

But Mr Stewart said most businesses in the city are concerned with surviving the here and now.

The city’s Tourism Alliance is lobbying landlords to give hospitality firms a nine-month rent holiday in return for a nine-month contract extension.

“There’s an anxiety about landlords demanding rent payments,” Mr Stewart said.

“Quite a lot of businesses have started calling business grants “landlord grants” because they go straight into rent payments.”

And small businesses just big enough to lose out on grants also risk collapse.

“Just because they’re bigger doesn’t mean they’re more stable, so more jobs could be lost through that,” Mr Stewart said.

But not all of Sussex’s resort towns will feel the bite of coronavirus in the same way, the Centre for Cities report claims.

The institute claims more than half of Worthing’s jobs are unaffected or experiencing higher demand - the highest proportion of any major town or city in the country.

The Argus: Employment in Worthing will suffer the least out of any British town or city, the Centre for Cities claimsEmployment in Worthing will suffer the least out of any British town or city, the Centre for Cities claims

Just under a quarter of the town’s jobs remain vulnerable to the crisis, according to the report.

Many of the town’s major employers such as Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the Environment Agency, and pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline all operate in sectors relatively unaffected by the crisis.

But Caroline Wood, of business partnership Coastal West Sussex, warns the town will still be rocked by the economic downturn.

She pointed to another report by consultancy firm Hatch Regeneris which claims 31 per cent of Worthing’s businesses will be impacted by Covid-19, making the town’s economy one of the most exposed in the country.

The Argus: Coastal West Sussex business partnership chief Caroline Wood said Worthing's self-employed will be hit hard by the coronavirus pandemicCoastal West Sussex business partnership chief Caroline Wood said Worthing's self-employed will be hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic

“The West Sussex coast will not fare well out of this, hospitality and tourism especially,” she said.

“Worthing has a lot of self-employed people and micro businesses and a lot of tourism, leisure, and retail. A lot of self-employed workers work in shared offices which are now closed. Hotels will still have to pay staff.”

Businesses need certainty to properly weather the coronavirus storm, said Ms Wood.

But whether that is likely in the near future is still up for debate.

Donate to the Easter Team at theeasterteam.org/donate-money.

Donate to Brighton and Hove Food Partnership at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/hungry-at-home-2020.

  • The coronavirus Sussex Crisis Fund has been set up to help those affected by the pandemic. The Argus’s charity and American Express have each donated £50,000 to kick-start the appeal. Grants will usually be for up to £5,000. More information is available at www.sussexgiving. org.uk/apply. To donate visit www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/sussexcrisisfund