Screen Skills, Shortages and Silicon Spa

Dr James Davies and Dr Matt Lyons discuss how we can solve the creative skills shortage in the West Midlands. This blog and research is part of a project for the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre. The phenomenon of skills shortages in the creative industries is well-known in the academic literature and policy debates. … Continue reading “Screen Skills, Shortages and Silicon Spa”

The Spring Budget 2023: What Does it Mean for the West Midlands?

On 15th March, the government released its Spring Budget. Alice Pugh and Maryna Ramcharan examine the budget’s impact on the West Midlands. The key announcements from the budget and initial analysis can be seen here. This budget is the first budget since the turmoil of the autumn ‘mini budget’ 2022 and the second autumn budget … Continue reading “The Spring Budget 2023: What Does it Mean for the West Midlands?”

The Poorest UK Households are Hit Hardest by the Highest Rate of Firm Failure

With bankruptcies on the rise in the UK, Simon Collinson, Matt Lyons and Huanjia Ma look at the impact of firm failure on the economy, employment and households. Data released by the Insolvency Service at the end of January shows that firm insolvencies, or bankruptcies, in England and Wales reached the highest level since 2009. … Continue reading “The Poorest UK Households are Hit Hardest by the Highest Rate of Firm Failure”

Key Announcements From the Spring Statement 2023

Wednesday 15th March 2023 was Budget Day. Jeremy Hunt delivered his first spring budget, and first major economic policy reveals since the revoking of policies outlined in Liz Truss’ mini-budget in September 2022. Alice Pugh and Hannes Read take a look at some of the key announcements from the budget. OBR Forecasts for the economy … Continue reading “Key Announcements From the Spring Statement 2023”

Changing Labour Market Participation of People Aged 50 Years and Over

Anne Green looks at the changing economic activity of the over-50s in the UK labour market and what policy implications this creates. This blog is part of a series looking at the UK Labour Market. See also: – Why are the Over-50s Leaving the Workforce?- Labour Market Flows and Future Participation Flows – What Are … Continue reading “Changing Labour Market Participation of People Aged 50 Years and Over”

Understanding Student Behaviour: Trends in Working While Studying, The Impact of Student Loans and Implications for Young People’s Economic Activity

Dr Kostas Kollydas discusses changes over time in student employment, student loan developments, and the likely effects of these changes on the educational and economic outcomes of young individuals. This blog is part of a series looking at the UK Labour Market. See also: – Why are the Over-50s Leaving the Workforce? Labour Market Flows … Continue reading “Understanding Student Behaviour: Trends in Working While Studying, The Impact of Student Loans and Implications for Young People’s Economic Activity”

International Migration and the UK Labour Market: Changes and Challenges

Anne Green discusses recent changes to international migration and its impact on the UK labour market. This blog is part of a series looking at the UK Labour Market. See also: – Why are the Over-50s Leaving the Workforce? Labour Market Flows and Future Participation Flows – How do Fertility Rates and Childcare Costs Play … Continue reading “International Migration and the UK Labour Market: Changes and Challenges”

Shedding Light on Productivity in the West Midlands

Rebecca Riley discusses a new report examining productivity in the West Midlands. The report is written by Melisa Wickham and is in collaboration with the West Midlands Combined Authority. This report focuses on labour productivity – which measures how much output is produced per unit of labour input. There are varying measures of labour input, … Continue reading “Shedding Light on Productivity in the West Midlands”

Why are the Over-50s Leaving the Workforce? – Labour Market Flows and Future Participation Flows

Rebecca Riley takes a look at some of the factors behind the over-50s leaving work and what this means for the UK labour market. This blog is part of a series looking at the UK Labour Market. See also: – How do Fertility Rates and Childcare Costs Play out in the UK Labour Market? – … Continue reading “Why are the Over-50s Leaving the Workforce? – Labour Market Flows and Future Participation Flows”

Too Many Demands are Being Placed on Universities To Support Their Regional Economies, Without Sufficient Support and Partnership

Dr James Davies discusses the pressures on Universities to support the Creative Industries, whilst themselves lacking sufficient support, industry partnerships and clarity of purpose. This blog was originally written for the Creative Industries, Policy and Data Centre. The creative industries have long been heralded as a UK success story. The creative economy grew at twice … Continue reading “Too Many Demands are Being Placed on Universities To Support Their Regional Economies, Without Sufficient Support and Partnership”