What Is Behind the UK’s Labour Shortage?

Professor Donald Houston and Stephen Hunsaker explore the UK labour shortage, suggesting that a combination of baby boomers retiring, high Covid infection rates during the pandemic, capacity constraints in the NHS, and Brexit are all at play. This article was first published in the UK in a Changing Europe website. Much has happened in the … Continue reading “What Is Behind the UK’s Labour Shortage?”

The Heavy Weight of Covid Loans on the Hospitality Industry

Tracey Stephenson, Managing Director of Staying Cool, discusses how the UK’s hospitality industry suffered disproportionately during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article was written for the Birmingham Economic Review. The review is produced by City-REDI / WMREDI, the University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy … Continue reading “The Heavy Weight of Covid Loans on the Hospitality Industry”

EUniWell Policy Commission: Young People and the Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Paul Vallance discusses his work with EUniWell and the policy commission he was involved in looking at the education, employment, and mental health of young people across Europe. Since 2020, the University of Birmingham has been a member of EUniWell, an EU-funded alliance of 11 universities across Europe that work together to support the well-being … Continue reading “EUniWell Policy Commission: Young People and the Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic”

Reflections on an Academic’s Secondment to the Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Donald Houston discusses his recent secondment at the ONS. What did he learn whilst he was there and what did the ONS gain from having an academic on board? I am a labour market researcher and a long-time user of ONS data.  I have always been impressed at the quality and precision of the labelling … Continue reading “Reflections on an Academic’s Secondment to the Office for National Statistics (ONS)”

Tune in to the City-REDI / WMREDI Podcast

We launched our podcast series last summer, and since then we’ve discussed a whole range of regional and national issues with experts from business, economics, transport, education, work, skills and local government. Each episode is no more than 30 minutes long and ready to be downloaded to listen to on your commute, lunch break or … Continue reading “Tune in to the City-REDI / WMREDI Podcast”

Birmingham in Crisis: Understanding the Challenge of Local Authority Budget Cuts and the Effect on Good Financial Management

Rebecca Riley and Abigail Taylor discusses the recent financial crisis to hit Birmingham City Council, and how the root of the issues facing this council and others around the UK, are a decade in the making. This week it was announced that Birmingham City Council faces a spending freeze and greater scrutiny of its budget. An … Continue reading “Birmingham in Crisis: Understanding the Challenge of Local Authority Budget Cuts and the Effect on Good Financial Management”

It’s the Pandemic, Stupid. Understanding Rising Economic Inactivity in the UK.

Donald Houston discusses research undertaken with colleagues at the ONS on economic inactivity in the UK. 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 the Current Challenges in the UK … Continue reading “It’s the Pandemic, Stupid. Understanding Rising Economic Inactivity in the UK.”

Working with Long Covid, The Case for Better Evidence and Knowledge in the Workplace

A new report from the TUC and the charity Long Covid Support reveals as many as two-thirds of UK workers with long Covid have faced unfair treatment. Based on the work of City-REDI and her own personal experience, Rebecca Riley reflects on their findings and reccomendations. This blog was originally posted on the College for Social … Continue reading “Working with Long Covid, The Case for Better Evidence and Knowledge in the Workplace”

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?”

Young People, Employment and Wellbeing

Paul Vallance discusses the impact of Covid-19 on the well-being of young people in Birmingham, which affected their mental health, education and employment opportunities. This blog post was produced for inclusion in the Birmingham Economic Review for 2022.  The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced by the University of Birmingham’s City-REDI and the Greater Birmingham … Continue reading “Young People, Employment and Wellbeing”