Latest News Wed, May 9, 2018 2:21 PM
Britain’s manufacturers are calling for the Industrial Strategy Council to be immediately created and given the urgent task of setting clear goals that will focus on solutions to boost manufacturing productivity growth.
The call from EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, comes on the back of new research showing the evolution of manufacturing sub-sector productivity growth against key international competitors before and after the financial crisis, including where the problems and opportunities for growth now sit.
Key manufacturing sector findings:
The research shows that manufacturing is the engine to drive productivity growth across the whole economy having beaten whole economy and services productivity growth in the past. In addition, in the run up to the financial crisis the sector beat the manufacturing productivity growth of Italy, Spain and Germany.
However, looking under the bonnet shows that the performance of manufacturing sub-sectors has diverged since the financial crisis with productivity growth across the sector flat-lining. A focused policy response is now urgently needed from Government.
Commenting, Ms Lee Hopley, Chief Economist at EEF, said: “We’ve known about the productivity problem for some time with various attempts made to try and fix it across the whole economy. Productivity growth matters for wages and international competitiveness yet ten years on from the start of the financial crisis these attempts have not delivered a major shift and we need to tackle the challenge in a different way.
“Manufacturing offers a good area to get gains on productivity growth. The Industrial Strategy Council should now be created urgently and put to task to identify how the overall strategy can improve productivity in those industrial sectors where it has lagged.”
According to the report, Unpacking the Puzzle, there is not one factor that can completely explain the productivity performance of all manufacturing sub-sectors so a targeted solution is needed. EEF’s initial assessment of what is needed has identified the following:
Alongside the Industrial Strategy Council finally being set up, EEF is calling for four specific additional measures as part of the industrial strategy to be delivered before the Parliamentary summer recess.
EEF intends to use the research as a starting point for in-depth analysis of manufacturing sector productivity over the summer before producing an extensive report in the autumn. This will contain policy recommendations for the Autumn Budget.
Featured News
Ground-breaking data analysis by socio-economic experts at Marrons has revealed areas...
Mitsubishi Electric has welcomed a new code of conduct on energy smart appliances...
BUILDING PRODUCT LIBRARY - LATEST BROCHURES
FRAMESAFE FR A2 FIRE...
By Glidevale Protect
A Guide to Aluminium...
By F.H. Brundle
Handrailing & Balust...
By F.H. Brundle
RLG600 Access Floori...
By Kingspan Data & Floo...
RHG600 Simploc
By Kingspan Data & Floo...
BUILDING PRODUCT DIRECTORY - LATEST PRODUCTS
Straightcurve® – headquartered in Australia, is renowned for high-end innovative garden edging,...
The Kingspan RLG600 raised access floor panel is intended for light office use and is capable of...
Kingspan RHG600 Simploc is the heavy grade floor system, capable of handling up to a 12kN/m2...
CONSTRUCTION VIDEOS - LATEST VIDEOS
Straightcurve® Product Range Overview - A Demonstration of Installation Ease
In progressive and dynamic business sectors, such as construction, it’s natural to be forward...
Decorative aluminium horizontal bulkheads more than 100 metres long have been supplied and installed...