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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Stuart Dawley, Professor Neill Marshall, Professor Andy Pike, Professor Jane Pollard, Professor John Tomaney
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Over the last decade or so, the notion that ‘history matters’ in understanding processes of economic growth and change has moved centre stage within economic geography research. Attention has focused on the ways in which the pre-existing industrial structure, technologies and institutions in a region or a locality influence their trajectories, whether a new industry develops there, and the ways in which existing industries and firms adapt to change. This paper contributes to the field by arguing for a better understanding of how local labour market contexts are integral causes in the processes and mechanisms of regional economic evolution. I explore how the rise and fall of new paths of growth – principally Northern Rock and financial services– in the North East of England shaped, and were in part shaped by, the historically weak structure of the region’s labour market. By integrating analyses of major recruitment and redundancy episodes, I suggest that the North East suffers from a process of occupational disadvantage, limiting the region’s absorptive capacity and ability to diversify into more advanced and high-skilled paths of growth. The findings restate the importance of embedding labour market and skills policies within broader strategies to address the industrial and economic structure of local and regional economies.
Author(s): Dawley S, Marshall JN, Pike A, Pollard J, Tomaney J
Publication type: Report
Publication status: Published
Series Title: LLAKES Research Paper Series
Year: 2012
Pages: 40
Report Number: 38
Institution: Centre for Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies
Place Published: Institute of Education, London
URL: http://www.llakes.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/38.-Dawley-et-al.pdf
