This week the Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission announced a new agreement – the Windsor Framework – to change the way the Northern Ireland Protocol operates, including by removing checks on goods from Great Britain remaining in Northern Ireland. Inflation in the Euro area is decelerating. Concerns about the impacts of … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 3 March 2023”
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”
From Health Crisis to an Innovation-led Recovery: What Role for Universities?
On 2nd February, City-REDI held its first hybrid seminar with Tomas Ulrichsen, Director of the Policy Evidence Unit for University Commercialisation and Innovation (UCI) at the University of Cambridge. You can watch the video from the event below. Health Crisis to an Innovation-Led Recovery This seminar introduces the Research England-funded Policy Evidence Unit for University … Continue reading “From Health Crisis to an Innovation-led Recovery: What Role for Universities?”
Labour’s Plan to Put “The Right Powers in the Right Places”
In December 2022, the Labour Party published a new report which promised to decentralise political power in the UK by putting “the right powers in the right places”. Dr Charlotte Hoole and Dr Matt Lyons evaluate how Labour’s proposals differ from the current system and what it could mean for the West Midlands. In December … Continue reading “Labour’s Plan to Put “The Right Powers in the Right Places””
The Devil and the Detail: The Two Things Hiding Behind the UK Levelling Up Fund
Whilst the Levelling Up Fund provides much-needed support for local regions, Hannes Read discusses two issues with the programme. The patchwork delivery of funding and a lack of focus on how the funds are spent. The continued patchwork approach to regional economic development is the devil behind the Levelling Up Fund. Despite the roots of … Continue reading “The Devil and the Detail: The Two Things Hiding Behind the UK Levelling Up Fund”
Levelling Up So Far: Has Funding Gone to Areas Most in Need?
Alice Pugh summarises where Levelling Up funding has been spent so far, across both rounds of funding. In total across both rounds of the Levelling Up fund, £3.9bn has funded 216 projects. The aim is to understand whether funding was spent in the areas most in need of levelling up. Regional Analysis Across both funding … Continue reading “Levelling Up So Far: Has Funding Gone to Areas Most in Need?”
West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 17 February 2023
Recent international news has been dominated by a huge Turkey-Syria earthquake and by mounting tension between the USA and China regarding the shooting down of a balloon and unidentified flying objects in US airspace. In the UK the Bank of England raised interest rates once again in early February. Inflation is decreasing slightly but remains … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 17 February 2023”
What is Gross Value Added (GVA) and What Does it Tell Us About the Economy of the West Midlands and the UK?
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?”
Balancing the Grid: Understanding the National Grid’s Demand Flexibility Service
Annum Rafique looks at how the National Grid’s new initiative can help with our current energy crisis. This blog was originally published on the Birmingham Business School blog, you can view the original article here. What is the “demand flexibility service”? In October 2022, the National Grid warned Britain that the country might face blackouts … Continue reading “Balancing the Grid: Understanding the National Grid’s Demand Flexibility Service”