NORTHERNERS are more upbeat about their job prospects than southerners, according to new research.

A survey of 1,000 adults by finance firm Friends Provident revealed a strong north/south divide with Londoners and those in the south east most worried about work-life balance and future job prospects.

Most workers in the south said they would consider retraining for a new career compared with just half of those questioned in Yorkshire and the north east.

More than one in four Londoners feared redundancy, compared with one in 10 people in the north east and one in five in the north west.

Trevor Matthews, chief executive of Friends Provident, said: “Despite southerners feeling downbeat about the future it is good to see northerners are positive about the decade to come”.