Promoting the work of the City Region Economic and Development Institute (City REDI)
Events – presenting work/speaking engagements On the 10th of May, Professor Simon Collinson was a keynote speaker at a Westminster Higher Education Forum event on: “UK universities and their contribution to local and regional development – the developing policy landscape, opportunities, practicalities, and impact”. On the 12th of May, Professor Simon Collinson was a panellist … Continue reading “City-REDI / WM REDI Round Up – May 2021”
This week ONS released the latest GVA (for 2018-2019): the UK average was 3.5% GVA growth. WMCA GVA grew by 1.99% to £106.7bn in 2019, which is lower than expected for that year by many forecasters (Oxford Economics had forecast £110.8bn and are currently revising their forecasts). The Black Country grew by 1.29% to £22.3bn … Continue reading “West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 28th May 2021”
Dr Abigail Taylor and Ben Harrison analyse the impact of the COVID-19 on employment to date before discussing what the future might hold. It also introduces the Social Policy Association’s ‘Employment Policy in Context’ group, explaining the group’s aims, plans for the coming year and how to get involved. This blog was first posted on … Continue reading “The Future of UK Employment in a Post-Pandemic World”
This week we welcome Andy Street back as Mayor. Following the easing of restrictions, signs of recovery and opening up may signal a new positive phase in the pandemic. We are also pleased to let readers know that the WMCA approach through the Monitor and the State of the Region has received recognition from the … Continue reading “West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 14th May 2021”
The latest GDP figures indicate the scale of recovery required as service businesses, including shops, restaurants and hairdressers, begin to re-open their doors this week. However, unlike the recessions of the past, many jobs have been retained (due to furlough and other government schemes), and as lockdowns are in place, many individuals have saved up … Continue reading “West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 16th April 2021”
Alice Pugh looks at the impact of lockdown on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), what support they’ve received and how they have fared compared to their larger counterparts. Covid-19 has created significant shocks throughout the business base. In the first wave, 47% of all UK industries reported that their turnover had been lower than normal … Continue reading “Covid-19 and Business: Has Government Support Worked?”
It is Budget week and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak presented HMG’s Budget 2021 to the House of Commons on 3 March 2021. The Chancellor outlined measures in the Government’s Build back better: our plan for growth budget aimed at supporting jobs and businesses and stabilizing public finances. Budget summary: Business: £126m to fund … Continue reading “West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 5th March 2021”
Professor Anne Green discusses a recent research study report led by IFF Research with City-REDI and Warwick IER looking at the impact of the new Points-Based Immigration System on the construction industry in the UK. In February 2021 the Construction Industry Training Board published the latest results from a series of annual studies on Migrant … Continue reading “Migrant Workers in Construction”
This week the Prime Minister announced a roadmap out of the Covid-19 lockdown which has been welcomed broadly by businesses. It provides some degree of clarity. However, in the immediate term issues persist – particularly for industries unable to open as normal. One local Growth Hub has received a months’ worth of calls, webchats, emails … Continue reading “West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 26th February 2021”
This week we continue to see the success of vaccine rollout. The Midlands has successfully provided the most 1st and 2nd doses of the vaccines out of any region in England, which is particularly important given the region has the highest reported hospital admissions. The region has recently published its Digital roadmap – research carried … Continue reading “West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 19th February 2021”
