Inclusive Growth Analysis Unit blog
Catch up on the most recent posts from our Growth and Inclusion blog located on the Policy@Manchester website.
-
Ill-health and deprivation: How we can address health inequalities in left behind neighbourhoods
18 September 2023
We have long known that the health of people living in deprived areas is worse than the national average. But this raises important questions, such as how big is the gap? Is it narrowing or growing over time? Are some deprived places worse off than others? And how do health inequalities affect economic performance? In […]
Read more
-
Razing the neighbourhood: consequences and alternatives to council estate demolition
17 April 2023
Post-war council estates suffer a barrage of stigmatising representations. Central and local governments, think tanks, and property companies call them ‘sink estates’ and ‘concrete monstrosities’. In television dramas and feature films, council estates are invariably grim and crime ridden. These representations have real-world effects. They establish social moods and opinions that encourage and justify the […]
Read more
-
Graphene as a regional-global innovation model
17 March 2023
A new national policy report has identified the graphene innovation ecosystem at Manchester as a regional hub for international partnership and investment. In this article, James Baker explores how this success demonstrates that research and development (R&D) investment into specialist regional clusters like Graphene@Manchester provides national government with an excellent return on investment as they […]
Read more
-
Sustainability transitions: catalysing innovation in the foundational economy for a green and just future
23 January 2023
The UK is making progress to achieve net zero, with the latest findings indicating that UK emissions in 2021 fell below 2019 levels. These efforts, however, are still identified as insufficient for fulfilling the Paris Agreement. To lead the way towards a green and just future, regional and urban areas are developing ambitious strategies to […]
Read more
-
Turning gadgets into productivity
13 December 2022
The Industrial Revolution brought about great economic success in the north of the United Kingdom that translated into a social, cultural and urban transformation. However, the Digital Revolution of today has not had the same impact on the UK, and particularly, the north. In this blog, Professor Bart van Ark explores how and why productivity […]
Read more
-
Skills, Productivity and Regional Inequality: why a ‘one size fits all’ approach can’t work
7 December 2022
Skills are important contributors to the improvement of productivity. With new skills, there are associated higher wages and better living standards. However, implementing a better agenda for skill improvement in policy can prove extremely challenging. There are several layers of skills and their applications that need to be considered at different levels of distribution. Professor […]
Read more
-
The UK productivity-governance puzzle
2 December 2022
The productivity issue in the UK is often framed as an issue driven by economic outcomes. This idea neglects some of the more complex structures that exist and contribute to the economic gaps in the UK. Professor Dave Richards, Professor Patrick Diamond and Dr Anna Sanders outline how government policy in the UK is too […]
Read more
-
Health inequalities and regional productivity
18 November 2022
The health of those living in the north is worse than those living in the south, and this inequality is reflected in the comparative economic performance as well. The regional inequality in economic performance is prominent throughout the United Kingdom. In this blog, Dr Luke Munford and Professor Clare Bambra explore the links between health […]
Read more
-
Local employment charters: re-defining productivity with employers?
11 November 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the harsh reality of insecure working conditions that many workers – particularly those in the front line – are subject to. Good employment charters are one way to ensure the security of good work. Implementing good employment charters in local policy agendas can increase productivity and develop more […]
Read more
-
On productivity and Net Zero
21 October 2022
The UK government has assigned itself with the tasks of boosting productivity in left-behind areas and transitioning to a net-zero economy. In this blog, Professor Jonatan Pinkse explores how the UK can simultaneously improve its standards of productivity regionally while transitioning to a net-zero economy. His policy recommendations include securing green jobs and not using […]
Read more