Taking the UK's economic pulse

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8015082.stm

BBC News correspondents across the country are finding out how badly each region is being affected by the downturn.
The government's latest growth figures showed that the recession is deepening, with GDP contracting by 1.9% in the first three months of 2009.

RICHARD BOND, EAST OF ENGLAND

The east of England has had a rough ride over the past year.
Its economy, based on service industries, prospered during the boom years, giving it one of the lowest unemployment rates in the UK.
But a string of high profile job losses at companies such as Norwich Union, Indesit, Freemans and Vion Foods have shown it's not recession proof.
Even the Port of Felixstowe and Stansted Airport, two important engines of growth, have gone into reverse.
Traffic through Felixstowe is down by 20% over the past six months. And passenger numbers at Stansted are down 14% since the start of this year.