North East

The North East is working to narrow the region’s disparities with the rest of the UK and to improve international competitiveness. The area has suffered from sustained economic decline as industries such as coal mining and ship building have virtually disappeared. It has the highest proportion of workless households and deprivation in any UK region and a predominance of small and medium size enterprises (88% employing less than 4 people).

In recent years there have been clear signs of improvement: jobs increasing, claimant numbers falling, number of business start-ups growing and tourism contributing 10% of the regional economy. Although the evidence suggests the region is making such progress, ONE NorthEast and its partners recognise the significant task ahead as they seek to close the productivity gap with the rest of the UK.