Business Productivity and Resilience

Supporting businesses to become more productive, focussing on the behaviours and good work that also make a positive long-term contribution to living standards and the environment in West Yorkshire

Aim

Our vision for action on business productivity and resilience in the Leeds City Region is:

Supporting businesses to become more productive, focussing on the behaviours and good work that also make a positive long-term contribution to living standards and the environment in West Yorkshire.

Over time, this should contribute to a significant closing of the £8.5bn gap between job productivity levels in the West Yorkshire economy and the UK average.

What success will look like

  • Higher productivity - a significant closing of the £8.5bn gap between job productivity levels in the West Yorkshire economy and the UK average
  • Good work - Higher levels of good work - 271,000 WY employees (29% of the total) were not in good quality work (ONS definition based on Taylor Review) before COVID-19
  • Improved living standards - Improved Gross disposable household income & a reduction in CO2 and Emissions Intensity Ratio

Strengths

  • Parts of the region have grown faster than the UK average over recent years
  • Significant strengths in research
  • World-leading sector specialisms – including in high productivity manufacturing
  • Increasing higher skilled workforce and quality employment
  • The region a key exporter in both manufactured goods and services

Challenges

  • Overall productivity performance £8.5bn below the UK average
  • Low levels of public R&D investment, contributing to lower private investment
  • The region’s exporters export less than their counterparts elsewhere
  • The region has a longer “long tail” of underproductive firms (businesses that are less productive than the national average)
  • Relatively lower levels of higher skilled individuals compared to other areas
  • 1/3 of people not employed in quality work (quality work defined as: not in low pay, working satisfactory hours, having desired contractual status)

Policies and Strategies

Who's helping make this happen

  • West Yorkshire’s five local authorities
  • The Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Service
  • The region’s Chambers of Commerce
  • Confederation of British Industry
  • Federation of Small Businesses
  • Trade Unions
  • Universities
  • Colleges and training providers

What we are doing to make this happen

  • The Leeds City Region Business Support Service provides a single point of access to a wide range of local and national support and funding to help businesses boost their productivity
  • The Entrepreneurship Programme is supporting individuals to develop and grow productive and resilient businesses
  • Working through trade partners in West Yorkshire to support businesses in exporting
  • Delivering inward investment support for highly productive businesses to locate in the region
  • Developing a Fair Work Charter for West Yorkshire - encouraging good pay, fair and flexible working conditions, and promoting diversity and social mobility within the workforce.