Exploring Differences in Work Efficiency Across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

In the summer of 2025, the National Institute UK Economic Outlook released a comprehensive report titled "Understanding Productivity Variations across the United Kingdom." The report, which falls under the themes of Productivity, Trade, and Regional Economies, was authored by Professor Arnab Bhattacharjee and external author Gopal K. Basak.

The report sheds light on the significant regional productivity variation in the UK, with London having a labour productivity that is 28.5% above the UK average, and output per job that is 35.3% above the UK average in 2023 (ONS, 2025). However, weak regional productivity is a common trend across the UK, excluding London, the metropolitan parts of the South East, and certain metropolitan areas such as Manchester (van Ark et al., 2025).

Interestingly, in 2023, the North West made the largest positive contribution (0.9%) to productivity growth compared to 2019 (pre-Covid), while London made the largest negative contribution (-0.3%). This suggests a more balanced productivity growth across regions, albeit with London still leading the pack.

It's important to note that the report does not provide specific details about the methods used in the analysis. Furthermore, the authors working on the report outside the university are not publicly specified.

The UK's productivity performance has been poor since the 2008-09 financial crisis, both historically and compared to the United States (NIESR, 2022). This report aims to contribute to the understanding of this issue, focusing on productivity variations across the United Kingdom.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report in 2025 also highlights the significant regional productivity variation in the UK. The report does not appear to contain any downloadable content, but it includes a box titled "Understanding Productivity Variations across the United Kingdom."

Despite the lack of specific methodological details, this report provides valuable insights into the productivity landscape of the UK, offering a starting point for further research and policy discussions.

Exploring Differences in Work Efficiency Across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland