Bridging the Continental Divide: EEF's comparative study of UK and EU manufacturing productivity

This report represents the first part of a follow up study to Catching up with Uncle Sam, looking at manufacturing productivity in the UK, Germany and France.

Bridging the continental divide draws on over 40 in-depth interviews with senior managers in manufacturing companies throughout the UK, Germany and France that were conducted in person last year. They aimed to get a detailed understanding of what managers in the respective countries felt were their productivity strengths and weaknesses. The interviews have been supplemented with detailed desk research to try to paint an accurate picture of the factors spurring and constraining productivity growth in manufacturing in the UK, Germany and France. In addition, the findings have been discussed with EEF member companies and committees across the country to add to the analysis undertaken.

This report is able to present a unique synthesis of managers’ views and economic analysis to give a clear reflection of the productivity performance of the UK relative to Germany and France. In the second stage of this study into UK and EU manufacturing productivity the EEF will survey manufacturers in the UK, Germany and France in detail on a number of the key aspects of this report.

Bridging the Continental Divide (PDF, 1.1MB)