Levelling up productivity gaps in the UK

There are significant regional disparities in productivity levels across the UK. The June 2022 CfM survey asked the members of its UK panel to evaluate the reasons for these disparities and policies that might close the gaps. A majority of the panel believe that the productivity differences are attributable to either agglomeration effects or sorting, self-reinforcing phenomena that lead some regions to become productivity powerhouses and others to fall behind, while just under a third think that the differences are due to fundamental factors such as education, local infrastructure, or poor transportation links across regions. The productivity gaps should be addressed with a combination of public investments, incentives for private investment, and investments in skills and education.