'An unbearably high price' - Archbishop speaks on York job losses

"The recent announcements from Nestlé, Norwich Union and British Sugar highlight the impact of job losses in this area and the wider region. These are the announcements that made the headlines, meanwhile other job losses – equally as devastating to those on the receiving end – will also have been taking place.

"My hope is that these companies – particularly those with multinational interests and high share prices – realise that for each single job loss they announce, there is a family or an individual facing the potential misery of financial insecurity. There is a human cost here that cannot be measured in numbers. It doesn't show up on balance sheets or dividend pay outs. It is an almost unbearably high price to pay for an increased dividend or higher share price.

"For the people who do these jobs, the offer of relocation is often not simple or easy. These companies have achieved their market position through the effort of committed workforces, and whilst economic realities must always be faced, the impact upon individuals and families must never be forgotten.

"Inward investment in the region is always welcome, and assurances of increased levels of investment are signs of hope. However for those skilled, manufacturing workers there are not always newly created skilled manufacturing jobs to be found.

"I will be writing to the Chief Executives and Chairmen of these companies to express my concerns for the continuing workforces, my wish for greater levels of future investment and my hope that the full human cost of these job losses remains at the forefront of any further decisions with regard to these industries in York."

Related Link Story on BBC North Yorkshire