Agenda item

To receive the report of the Director of City Development which provides summary information on the changes in the local economy and the labour market. It also provides examples of the demand and supply side interventions for labour.

The Board received a report from the Director of City Development which provided summary information on the changes in the local economy and the labour market. It also provided examples of the demand and supply side interventions for labour.

The following information was appended to the report:

·  Appendix 1- Employment breakdown for Leeds 2015

·  Appendix 2- Employment breakdown for Leeds 2000-2010

·  Appendix 3- The number of start-ups per 1000 residents for each ward in the city

The following representatives were in attendance to respond to Member’s queries and comments:

-  Sue Wynne, Chief Officer Employment & Skills

-  Simon Brereton, Economic Development Programme Leader

-  Keri Evans, Communities and Partnerships Senior Manager

The key areas for discussion were:

·  Clarity was sought regarding the trend of Incapacity Benefit figures and the extent to which these are comparative with core cities and national figures.

·  The extent to which LCC Officers are receiving guidance from either Central Government, the LEP, WYCA or the Northern Powerhouse regarding future economic growth following Britain’s exit from the European Union. The need for future data sets to reflect such national change. The Board were advised that due to the time lag in the provision of Government data the post Brexit vote data will not be received until October 2018.

·  Further detail was sought regarding Engineering and Scientific Technology employment fields in Leeds.

·  Clarity was sought regarding figures stated within Appendix 3- The number of start-ups per 1,000 residents for each ward. The need to separate City & Hunslet ward in order to provide a realistic reflection of commerce creation in Hunslet.

·  The Board recognised the need to work in partnership with academic partners to provide further qualitative evidence regarding the quality and quantity of city-wide employment, including self-employment in order to contextualise figures provided. The Board were advised that a small project has been started with Leeds Social Science Institute and the importance of this to identify the extent of inclusive growth. The Board stated their support of the research being commissioned to understand employment in Leeds, and on the broader issues raised.

·  The extent to which increasing proportions of Level 4 type Qualification jobs entering the city will tackle issues of employment disparity within Leeds.

·  Further detail was sought regarding the number of residents working for less than the ‘living wage’ in comparison to others within the city region.

·  The Board was advised that collaborative work was being undertaken with Leeds College of Building and Leeds City College to provide ‘place-based’ approaches for first time entrants and those looking to enhance their skills.

·  The growth strategy, which will be presented to Executive Board in the summer followed by the Skills Plan in the autumn.

·  The review of employment and skills obligations in the autumn. 

RESOLVED- The Scrutiny Board:

a)  Noted the information contained within the report of the Director of City Development.

b)  Considered the written and verbal information provided by the visiting representatives.

c)  Will write to the Director of City Development to state its support for research being commissioned to understand the quality and quantity of employment in Leeds, and the broader issues raised during the meeting.

d)  Requested a further update in the first quarter of 2018, with a focus on inclusive growth and the evidence regarding the quality and quantity of employment in Leeds, the skills plan and the review of employment and skills obligations.