New CBI report analysing the causes of and solutions to England’s longstanding productivity gaps, and considers the impact of COVID-19, Brexit and AI/automation on the country’s levelling up agenda.
When the government won the election in 2019, it was done so off the back of repeated promises to level up the country. Whilst no one could have predicted what 2020 was going to bring, this commitment remains as important as ever if we are to bounce back from the impacts of COVID-19 and build back better.
As set out in the CBI’s new report Reviving Regions, the country has longstanding productivity and equality differences. These disparities are large, both across English regions, but also within them. With productivity affecting wage growth and living standards, closing these productivity gaps must be a priority for local, regional and national government.
The CBI has been working closely with businesses across all English regions and in a wide range of sectors to understand what action is needed to ensure all regions can bounce back from the impact of COVID-19 and Brexit, all whilst closing long