Like any good Hollywood blockbuster you can think of, here we finish the trilogy of blogs related to the economic exposure to COVID-19 of the West Midlands’ sectors [1]. If you are still reading this series and you are not overwhelmed yet by the amount of information (and disinformation) related to the pandemic, I hope … Continue reading “Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part III): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – The Sectoral Effects of a Lockdown”
Tag: West Midlands
Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part II): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – Demand for Health Services: The Invisible Indirect Workers
This is the second blog in a series on the economic exposure of the West Midlands region [1] to COVID-19. The first article talked about the effect on the main sectors and the employment depending on foreign trade, in an eventual case of international borders closure. You can read the first blog here. The second … Continue reading “Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part II): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – Demand for Health Services: The Invisible Indirect Workers”
Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part I): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – Closing the Borders
How can I help? That is the question I’ve been asking myself ever since I knew COVID-19 was approaching the UK. And it finally arrived, as expected, but it caught us unprepared, even though we have been observing speechless what was happening in many other countries around the corner, like Italy (where I have many … Continue reading “Economic Exposure to COVID-19 (Part I): The Situation in the West Midlands Region – Closing the Borders”
West Midlands Economic Monitor: March 2020
March’s edition of the West Midlands Economic Monitor is now available for you to keep up to date with recent developments in the region. This month’s monitor shows: PMI softened in February, but still depicted growth, and the claimant count has increased by over 20,000 people since last year. The global COVID-19 pandemic is beginning … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Monitor: March 2020”
#Budget2020: Did the West Midlands Win Anything?
The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has now delivered his much-anticipated budget. It is the first UK budget since 2018 and has been given ahead of a Bank of England Rate interest rate cut from 0.75% to 0.25%. But, what will it mean for the regions of the UK, and more importantly what will it mean for … Continue reading “#Budget2020: Did the West Midlands Win Anything?”
Regional Productivity Differences, Skills and Inclusive Growth: Survey Findings
The UK lags behind most advanced economies in terms of the productivity of its firms. There are also significant inter-regional differences in productivity across the UK, which are an important component of overall poor performance. The UK is also one of the most unequal countries, compared to other industrialised competitors, in terms of regional differences … Continue reading “Regional Productivity Differences, Skills and Inclusive Growth: Survey Findings”
Birmingham Has yet to Embrace Tolkien – Why?
Tolkien and his works are inextricably linked to Birmingham, and hints of Middle-earth can be found across the region. He grew up in Kings Heath, a suburb of the city, and spent a considerable amount of time in Hall Green, home to Moseley Bog, believed to be the inspiration for Fangorn Forest. The city captured … Continue reading “Birmingham Has yet to Embrace Tolkien – Why?”
City-REDI Weekly Update – 27th February 2020
Welcome to your weekly update. If you have any feedback please let us know. Blogs What Do We Know About the Current Economic Conditions and What Does the Latest Data Indicate for the West Midlands’ Economy? In this blog, Rebecca Riley accesses the economic performance of the West Midlands, looking at past, current and future … Continue reading “City-REDI Weekly Update – 27th February 2020”
What Do We Know About the Current Economic Conditions and What Does the Latest Data Indicate for the West Midlands’ Economy?
Official data has a habit of being out of sync and lagging, necessarily as its aim is to get an accurate understanding of performance, that takes time, effort and a drive for quality. Big decisions are made on this data and we need to know it’s right. But how do we know what’s going on … Continue reading “What Do We Know About the Current Economic Conditions and What Does the Latest Data Indicate for the West Midlands’ Economy?”
City-REDI Weekly Update – 20th February 2020
Welcome to your weekly update. If you have any feedback please let us know. Blogs West Midlands Economic Monitor: February 2020 February’s edition of the West Midlands Economic Monitor is now available for you to keep up-to-date with recent developments in the region. This month shows that regional PMI data has rebounded to growth, whilst … Continue reading “City-REDI Weekly Update – 20th February 2020”