Pro-Productivity Policies: Exploring Measures for Improving Growth and Living Standards

There is a growing consensus among researchers and policymakers that improving the UK's poor productivity performance at the aggregate level but also regionally and sectorally requires sustained political leadership, significant public and business investment as well as close policy coordination. The government's mission to raise economic growth through higher public investment and a renewed focus on industrial strategy are necessary but insufficient measures to boost productivity and thus living standards. How to embed pro-productivity policies across central government and lower tiers? Which should be the substantive policy priorities for this Parliament?

In the run-up to the Spending Review scheduled for late Spring 2025, the Productivity Commission hosted by NIESR together with The Productivity Institute's Productivity Policy Unit (PPU) will bring together leading academics, policy experts and practitioners to address these questions.

The workshop and publication will be centred around the following themes, and will take place across two days:

Thursday 24 April (12:00-18:00):

1. Re-wiring the UK central government machine
2. Reforming the UK fiscal framework and boosting public investment
3. Raising regional productivity

Friday 25 April (09:00-16:30):

1. Enhancing skills and human capital
2. Increasing trade and FDI
3. Boosting public sector productivity
4. Reforming housing, planning and transport