A great deal has changed in Greater Manchester over the past ten years – a Mayor has been elected, a Combined Authority formed and six devolution deals, granting the city region new powers and resources, have been signed. Employment and population growth has been strong, with significant investment into the city region attracting businesses and higher skilled workers. Substantial challenges, however, remain. Regional inequality persists and has widened since the financial crisis. Productivity rates in the UK and its regions have stagnated or fallen further behind other countries and regions. Skills gaps with the rest of the UK among both the young and old have remained stubbornly difficult to close. In the decade prior to the 2008/09 recession, Greater Manchester experienced strong growth performance (in particular from 2004 onwards). Between 1998 and 2008 real Gross Value Added (GVA, the standard measure of economic output at a sub-national level) grew by 2.6% per annum in the city region, ahead of the UK average (excluding London) of 2.4% per annum; and similar to the UK average overall (2.7% per annum). Over the same period, real productivity grew by 1.6% per annum, the same as the UK, but ahead of the UK excluding London (1.4% per annum).
GMCA Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership
Marketing Manchester AGMA
MIDAS
1986
1996-1999
Greater Manchester Council
Manchester Enterprises Northwest Regional Development Agency
MIER
6 devolution deals 2014–2017
TFGM
Mayor of Greater Manchester
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Prosperity for all: The Greater Manchester Strategy
Stronger Together
GMCA Greater Manchester City Deal
Taking Charge of our Health and Social Care
A Plan for Growth and Reform in Greater Manchester
Our People Our Place: The Greater Manchester Strategy
Figure 1: The road to devolution
The Greater Manchester Independent Prosperity Review
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