The Productivity Institute is a UK-wide research organisation dedicated to understanding and addressing the country’s longstanding productivity challenges. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), we collaborate with a network of leading universities and industry partners to drive meaningful change.
Our mission is to support a step-change in the quality and quantity of productivity research available in the UK. We provide evidence that directly informs government policies and business strategies, helping to improve productivity outcomes across the nation.
Productivity is far more than a single statistic. While economists, policymakers and the media often reference the average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per working hour, this aggregate measure tells only part of the story.
At its core, productivity is about how people, firms and places turn finite resources into better outcomes. It’s about smarter working for better growth – using innovation, skills, investment and effective practices to create greater value.
Only when we understand the subtleties of productivity across different contexts can we have an informed national debate on how to improve the UK’s productivity performance for the benefit of all, making it a key driver of inclusive growth.
ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY
When most people think of productivity, they envision efficiency: the relationship between the input and output of the working population. This macroeconomic measure indicates how efficiently a country’s economy is utilising resources and workers. However, it doesn’t reveal the details of how productivity matters for firms, people and local communities – the places where productivity is actually created.
BUSINESS PRODUCTIVITY
Businesses are at the heart of productivity growth. Business productivity examines how organisations make the best use of people, time and resources, and what improvements can be made. It goes beyond handling material goods, services and processes to consider factors such as leadership, innovation, collaboration and worker wellbeing. Businesses must also drive innovation through knowledge-sharing and enhanced practices that improve efficiency and create value.
PLACE-BASED PRODUCTIVITY
Productivity is critical to the performance of regions, cities and towns. Places deliver business opportunities, create jobs for people to earn a living, and help improve living conditions for entire communities. Given the widespread productivity gaps across UK regions, understanding the drivers of regional disparities is essential. Place-based productivity recognises the need for growth and development to be inclusive, ensuring that prosperity is shared across all parts of the country.
Productivity needs a long-term focus, using a broader concept of resources, outputs and inputs that also consider welfare, well-being, and environmental resources. This also allows for the negative effects of productivity to be better managed. In today’s modern economy, growth also needs to be inclusive. This means providing access to those resources for all, so they can be transformed into outcomes in an efficient and sustainable way and the gains distributed widely across society.
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Callum Brown – Citypress
Email: The Productivity Institute
Abbie Keeling (Marketing & Communications Manager)
Sarah Piascik (Project Coordinator – Engagement)
James Wilson (Communications & Engagement Coordinator)
Charlotte Jones (Head of Operations)
Michael Livesey (Institute & Fellowship Manager)
Harriet Pentreath (Project Coordinator – Research)
Lisa Sumner (Senior Research Finance Officer)
Georgia Sewart (Institute Graduate Intern)
Our members are based all over the UK, but our headquarters are at the Alliance Manchester Business School.
Alliance Manchester Business School,
Booth Street West,
Manchester,
M15 6PB,
United Kingdom
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