Improving productivity in manufacturing is the key to the long term success of the industry – whether it’s increased employee productivity or improved technology delivering it.
International comparisons point to a gap between the productivity performance of UK manufacturing and that of our main competitors in Europe and North America.
In lower cost economies, where productivity levels are much lower than in the UK, productivity growth is accelerating as they seek to catch up with the developed world.
EEF’s research identifies some of the drivers of the UK’s productivity gap, which include employee productivity, investment, innovation and skills development. It draws on lessons learned from abroad and highlights the steps government and businesses can take to both increase employee productivity and improve productivity in manufacturing as a whole.