A RECORD number of new businesses were established in the region last year despite the economic challenges posed by the pandemic.

Latest figures show that 22,615 new companies were registered in West Yorkshire during 2020 – up from 18,752 the previous year, an increase of over 20 per cent.

It is the third year in a row that a new high has been achieved.

The total number of registered companies in West Yorkshire now stands at 135,276.

Data has been collated by Inform Direct, a company secretarial and formation specialist, using details from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics.

John Korchak, for Inform Direct, said: “It is excellent to see that West Yorkshire has achieved a record year for new company formations despite the unprecedented uncertainties brought by Covid-19.

“Many of the new company formations are in the retail sector, with a large number of new businesses set-up to sell goods online.”