A new research project has been launched to address critical concerns around regional inequalities, productivity challenges, and the underperformance of the UK's second-tier cities. As the nation grapples with these issues, this timely study will explore how the mobility patterns of high-skilled workers are evolving, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has accelerated the adoption of hybrid and remote working. The project is led by Professor Jackie Wahba Professor of Economics at the University of Southampton, with partners at the University of Birmingham, the University of St. Andrews and De Montfort University working alongside University of the Arts London. The project is co-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The project will investigate new trends in remote working and how local actors can make their regions more attractive to the more mobile high-skilled labour. By utilising quantitative methods, the research will map the changes in working from home and residential mobility among high-skilled workers before, during, and after the pandemic, identifying key determinants and effects of these shifts.
Ian Taylor, Co-Investigator for the project and Strategic Projects Consultant at UAL, will be leading on the development of in-depth case studies of three major regional cities. The project is being advised by an expert advisory group that includes Professor Amanda Crawley Jackson, LCC’s Dean of Research and Knowledge Exchange.
This research will provide vital insights into the shifting mobility patterns of skilled workers and offer guidance on how to bolster growth and productivity across the UK, aligning with Mission 1 of the Levelling Up White Paper.
The analysis will answer the following research questions:
- What factors influence the residential (im)mobility of high-skilled workers?
- What are the implications of working from home (WFH) for spatial disparities and growth?
- How can policy make places attractive and "sticky" to high-skilled labour?
This project promises to shed new light on the relationship between changing working patterns, residential mobility, and the UK's economic growth trajectory.