Regeneration and the need for more high-paying jobs were among the hot topics discussed at this year’s State of the City event.

Dozens of people were given the chance to quiz leading figures in the organisations which help shape the economic landscape of Brighton and Hove.

These included Julie Stanford, president of the city’s chamber of commerce, Chris Baker, head of economic and social engagement at the University of Brighton, Scott Marshall, director of culture and enterprise on the city council and Chief Inspector Laurence Taylor, head of the neighbourhood policing teams in the Brighton and Hove division of Sussex Police.

Tony Mernagh, chief executive of the Brighton and Hove Business Forum, began the evening with a presentation detailing the current economic situation and the challenges the city will face when the recession ends.

Among the points he raised was that Brighton still had a better qualified workforce than the South East average but the number of people out of work rose dramatically in the past year, from 5,025 to 7,372.

The jobs situation is made worse by the fact many graduates are taking entry level jobs away from those who need them because of the lack of employment opportunities.

On the positive side, the average salary in Brighton and Hove has risen. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the median wage for a full-time worker was £24,948 last year, compared to £23,143 in 2007.

This has coincided with a dramatic fall in house prices, making a home more affordable for first-time buyers than it has been for several years.

The average one-bedroom flat now costs just over £150,000 – £23,000 less than a year ago. This means the salary needed to get on to the housing ladder has fallen by almost £11,000, from £52,480 to £41,730 in the first quarter of 2009.

Mr Mernagh said local indicators such as footfall, retail sales and retail vacancy rates compared well against national statistics.

He also gave an update of the city’s major development projects. Although the stadium at Falmer is being built, the King Alfred scheme lost funding, the “Roaring Forties” tower planned for Brighton Marina is under review and massive projects, such as a new Brighton Centre, the Brighton i360 and an arena at Black Rock, are all pending, with no clear indication of when they will be started.

Some good news on the development side was the decision by American Express to build an additional 270,000sqft of office space, committing its future to Brighton and Hove.

The credit card giant is one of the city’s largest employers and the new building could lead to the company almost doubling its 3,000- strong workforce.

Following Mr Mernagh’s presentation, a Question Time session was held for the audience to quiz panel members.

Issues raised included the night-time economy, with Chief Insp Taylor replying that crime had not increased significantly since the licensing laws were relaxed, and the council’s commitment to redeveloping the Brighton Centre.

Mr Murray replied that this was a priority for the authority and several world-leading architecture firms had submitted designs, with more details due to be released later in the summer.