The Office of Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) COVID-19 analysis published on 14th April 2020 makes clear that on the basis of evidence from past pandemics the economic impact of the crisis will arise less from illness and death than from the reduction in demand for goods and services stemming from public health restrictions and social distancing … Continue reading “Estimates of the Local Impact in the West Midlands of the OBR Scenario of a 35% Reduction in Real GDP in Q2 2020”
Category: Research
West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 24 April 2020
WM REDI has been tasked with providing an up to date monitor of the current COVID-19 economic impacts to help regional partners to shape responses and interventions to ensure the region continues to thrive. The weekly monitor brings together data and intelligence from the WM REDI partnership into one single source which can be shared … Continue reading “West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 24 April 2020”
City-REDI Book Club – Global City Makers: Economic Actors and Practices in the World City Network
In the second edition of the City-REDI Book Club, Dr Charlotte Hoole reviews “Global City Makers: Economic Actors and Practices in the World City Network” by Michael Hoyler, Christof Parnreiter and Allan Watson. In an era of globalisation and rapid urbanisation, the city has become an important unit of analysis for understanding urban systems. This … Continue reading “City-REDI Book Club – Global City Makers: Economic Actors and Practices in the World City Network”
The Uneven Spatial Footprint of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Shutdown
In this blog, Tasos Kitsos looks into the spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of industries currently shut down in the UK. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, we begin to realise the potential economic impact from the oncoming recession. The Office for National Statistics has moved with unprecedented speed to gather data on the … Continue reading “The Uneven Spatial Footprint of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Shutdown”
Identifying Exposure: What Do the IFS Estimates on the Coronavirus Sector Shutdown Mean for the West Midlands?
On April 6th 2020 the Institute for Fiscal Studies published a briefing note about which workers are most exposed to the COVID-19 lockdown. In this blog, Tasos Kitsos looks at the relevant figures for a range of sub-national areas focussing on West Midlands Combined Authority and constituent LEPs and Local Authorities. The sectors directly affected … Continue reading “Identifying Exposure: What Do the IFS Estimates on the Coronavirus Sector Shutdown Mean for the West Midlands?”
Local Resilience and the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Economic Crisis
First things first, stay in as much as possible. Never before such a simple action could have such a big impact. From protecting your loved ones to helping the economy, staying in is currently one of our best weapons. The more we stay in, the quicker we will be out of this challenge. Beyond the … Continue reading “Local Resilience and the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Economic Crisis”
Is Birmingham a Just City?
The story of Birmingham’s post-industrial decline in the twentieth century is well known. However, any visitor to the city centre today can’t help but notice its urban renaissance in the twenty-first. From the revitalised New Street station to the glass tower blocks at Snow Hill, major regeneration projects are visually transforming the city. Many of … Continue reading “Is Birmingham a Just City?”
Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part III): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – The Sectoral Effects of a Lockdown
Like any good Hollywood blockbuster you can think of, here we finish the trilogy of blogs related to the economic exposure to COVID-19 of the West Midlands’ sectors [1]. If you are still reading this series and you are not overwhelmed yet by the amount of information (and disinformation) related to the pandemic, I hope … Continue reading “Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part III): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – The Sectoral Effects of a Lockdown”
Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part II): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – Demand for Health Services: The Invisible Indirect Workers
This is the second blog in a series on the economic exposure of the West Midlands region [1] to COVID-19. The first article talked about the effect on the main sectors and the employment depending on foreign trade, in an eventual case of international borders closure. You can read the first blog here. The second … Continue reading “Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part II): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – Demand for Health Services: The Invisible Indirect Workers”
Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part I): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – Closing the Borders
How can I help? That is the question I’ve been asking myself ever since I knew COVID-19 was approaching the UK. And it finally arrived, as expected, but it caught us unprepared, even though we have been observing speechless what was happening in many other countries around the corner, like Italy (where I have many … Continue reading “Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part I): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – Closing the Borders”