Associate Professor Rebecca Riley and Professor Delma Dwight discuss GVA or Gross Value Added. What are its strengths and weaknesses as an economic measure, what does it tell us about the current state of the economy of the West Midlands and the UK and how can we improve our GVA? This podcast was inspired by … Continue reading “What is Gross Value Added (GVA) and What Does it Tell Us About the Economy of the West Midlands and the UK?”
Category: West Midlands
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”
Insights into Birmingham City Council’s Spending Power, Revenue Funding and Spending between 2010-11 and 2019-2020
A new report by Alice Pugh, Dr Abigail Taylor, and WMREDI intern Charlotte Tomlinson examines changes in Birmingham City Council’s income and expenditure over the decade between 2010/11 and 2019/20. In this blog, Alice and Abigail summarise the aims of the report, the methodological approach adopted and they key findings. They also discuss key messages … Continue reading “Insights into Birmingham City Council’s Spending Power, Revenue Funding and Spending between 2010-11 and 2019-2020”
The Autumn Statement – The Impact on the West Midlands
Alice Pugh takes an in-depth look at the Autumn Statement and what it means for the West Midlands. For futher analysis see: The Autumn Statement – Key Announcements The Autumn Statement was finally released last week detailing government tax and spending plans. The budget comes at a time of significant political and economic turbulence. The … Continue reading “The Autumn Statement – The Impact on the West Midlands”
The Autumn Statement – Key Announcements
Alice Pugh provides an overview of the key announcements to come out of the Autumn Statement. For futher analysis see: The Autumn Statement – The Impact on the West Midlands The Autumn Statement was finally released last week detailing government tax and spending plans. The budget comes at a time of significant political and … Continue reading “The Autumn Statement – Key Announcements”
Regional Clusters: Place Branding for the Co-Location of Firms
Professor Simon Collison discusses how city-regions need to build a straightforward narrative that captures why people and businesses would want to visit, live, work, invest and commit to that particular place. Place branding and local leadership is often focused on promoting inward investment around clusters of economic activity, which can contribute to regional economic growth … Continue reading “Regional Clusters: Place Branding for the Co-Location of Firms”
The Legacy of Mega-Events: Birmingham’s Challenges in Securing Lasting Impact From the 2022 Commonwealth Games
James Davies and Simon Collinson examine the economic and cultural benefits for Birmingham and the West Midlands from the 2022 Commonwealth Games. This article was originally published on the University of Birmingham news site. With the 2022 Commonwealth Games taking over the city of Birmingham this summer, it’s a perfect moment to consider the Games’ … Continue reading “The Legacy of Mega-Events: Birmingham’s Challenges in Securing Lasting Impact From the 2022 Commonwealth Games”
Megatrends in the West Midlands: Urban Responses to Pandemics and Economic Shocks
In this piece, Liam O’Farrell draws from a range of case studies to explore how cities have responded to and been shaped by pandemics and economic shocks. It is part of larger project looking at Megatrends in the West Midlands. Megatrends are major movements or patterns or trends that are having a transformative impact on … Continue reading “Megatrends in the West Midlands: Urban Responses to Pandemics and Economic Shocks”
Over 50s in the Labour Market
Professor Anne Green discusses the fall in labour market participation for the over-50s in the UK and the West Midlands, the barriers they face accessing learning and employment and how we can help them back into the workforce. Introduction With the number of vacancies nationally outstripping the numbers of unemployed people and many employers facing … Continue reading “Over 50s in the Labour Market”
Regional Systems of Innovation – How Does the West Midlands Compare With its European Counterparts?
Dr Carolin Ioramashvili and Professor Simon Collinson compare levels of innovation in regions around Europe with the West Midlands to show policymakers where they can focus investment and interventions. This is part of a series of blogs looking at Innovation in the West Midlands. Find out more about our work on regional innovation systems. Innovation … Continue reading “Regional Systems of Innovation – How Does the West Midlands Compare With its European Counterparts?”