Employment Inequalities of Working at Home

Darja Reuschke explores the geographical trends of homeworking, noting how it is geographically, occupationally and demographically uneven, and reinforces rather than reduces existing patterns of employment inequalities. The number of workers who mainly work at home in the UK has increased by 5.5 million between 2019-2023. This is almost entirely down to employees taking up this … Continue reading “Employment Inequalities of Working at Home”

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”

West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 13 September 2023

This month there is another natural disaster; rescue efforts are ongoing after a powerful earthquake struck central Morocco on Friday night just after 11pm. The death toll has soared to more than 2,000, with a similar number of injured. Inflation continues to be an issue globally post-pandemic. Heatwaves, fires and floods are hitting key supply … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Impact Monitor – 13 September 2023”

Meet Darja Reuschke, City-REDI’s New Associate Professor of Regional Economic Development

Darja discusses her research interests including work, employment, cities and regions. I am interested in interdisciplinary perspectives on work, employment, cities and regions. New forms and locations of work and businesses are a central focus of my research. I have investigated how housing markets, regional and local economic conditions, households and gender influence self-employment and … Continue reading “Meet Darja Reuschke, City-REDI’s New Associate Professor of Regional Economic Development”

What Makes a Cluster and Who (and Where) Benefits?

Policymakers are once again focused on the potential of clusters to boost regional growth. However, as James Davies and Simon Collinson demonstrate, a cluster’s contribution to growth can cross regional, national or even continental boundaries. Policymakers, consultants and academics have focused on the potential of clusters to contribute to regional economic growth for a long … Continue reading “What Makes a Cluster and Who (and Where) Benefits?”

West Midlands Impact Monitor – 6 April 2023

This is the 100th edition of the Monitor! The first one was published in late March 2020. At that time, PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) had dropped to 37.1, 1 in 3 businesses had closed due to regulation, Jaguar Land Rover had shut its production plants, and the numbers of calls for business support were increasing … Continue reading “West Midlands Impact Monitor – 6 April 2023”

Changing Labour Market Participation of People Aged 50 Years and Over

Anne Green looks at the changing economic activity of the over-50s in the UK labour market and what policy implications this creates. 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 … Continue reading “Changing Labour Market Participation of People Aged 50 Years and Over”

The Potential Impact of Youth Social Prescribing in the West Midlands on Employment and the Economy

Joanne Mills from the University of Wolverhampton introduces the Institute for Community Research and Development’s new project with WMREDI to identify the potential impact of youth social prescribing within the West Midlands on employment and the economy. Visit the Institute for Community Research and Development webpage. Read the report and find out more about the … Continue reading “The Potential Impact of Youth Social Prescribing in the West Midlands on Employment and the Economy”

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”

A Partnership Approach: The Role of Employment Support and Skills in Levelling Up

Welcome to REDI-Updates. REDI-Updates aims to get behind the data and translate it into understandable terms. In this edition, WMREDI staff look at the government’s flagship policy – Levelling Up. We look at the challenge of implementing, understanding and measuring levelling up. In this blog, Professor Anne Green and Dr Abigail Taylor discuss the key … Continue reading “A Partnership Approach: The Role of Employment Support and Skills in Levelling Up”