Liverpool's economy

[Waterways]

Liverpool looks upbeat:

• Latest Merseyside Economic Review reveals growth levels above national averages & a decade of business growth
• Construction business levels grow by 25.1%; hotels and restaurants by 24.6% - eclipsing national performance
• 10% more new businesses started in Merseyside than in rest of the North West and the UK
• 25% increase in number of small businesses
• Productivity per job up by 2.5%, ahead of UK average
• Liverpool City Region leads national average on ethnic group employment

• Growth of our 'Knowledge Economy' at a faster rate than the UK average
• Liverpool has the lowest carbon emissions per capita of any of the UK's major urban centres
• Businesses are lasting for longer;an increase in the three-year survival rate
• Long-term growth predicted using bespoke model

Merseyside Economic Review

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Christine Ourmieres, UK general manager for Air France/KLM, says the airline chose Liverpool because of its economic prospects. The city was named this year?s European Capital of Culture and has enjoyed large investment to improve its infrastructure. It has the fastest growing city economy in the north of England.

Ourmieres said, ?Liverpool has a large catchment area with a strong economy"

KLM say, "The company?s research showed a growing demand from businesses in the North West of the UK for expansion to Liverpool as well as from the large student population".

[Waterways]

Airport flying high despite the crunch
Nov 7 2008 by Neil Hodgson, Liverpool Echo

LIVERPOOL John Lennon airport has seen a rise in the number of passengers despite problems in the airline industry across the country.

The credit crunch has lead to companies slashing routes and passenger capacity.

At Manchester airport last month there were 2,500 fewer flights and nearly 200,000 fewer passengers compared with October 2007.

More than 500 international services have been withdrawn including 200 long haul flights including those operated by British Airways and Bmi announced it will end long haul routes including Chicago and Las Vegas, early next year.

But Liverpool JLA spokesman Robin Tudor revealed that their October passenger statistics showed an increase of 1.3% last month to 470,000, compared with October 2007.

He said: ?In the current climate, compared with others like Manchester, Heathrow and Gatwick, it is pretty good going. We would like to see that figure higher, but being realistic it is a pretty good month.?

He said the airport is adopting a cautious approach as the recession begins to bite adding: ?At the moment we are not seeing huge downturns, but we are still very much on a watching brief over the coming weeks and months. But October?s year-on-year figure was encouraging.

?The leisure and low cost markets are finding it tough, but people are still wanting to make use of short breaks and leisure.

?In contrast long haul flights have suffered. Businesses have probably cut back on flights because they have had to and that has probably hit longer haul more than short haul destinations.?

Meanwhile, Ryanair has announced it will resinstate its Liverpool-Valencia route next summer between March 29 to the end of October.

Ryanair withdrew two aircraft based at Valencia this Tuesday in a row with city authorities over funding to promote the route. But because a Liverpool-based aircraft serves the city?s links with Valencia normal summer services will resume next March.

Airport workers at Manchester and London City are to trial the government?s controversial new biometric ID card for 18 months from next October.

[Kev]

Positive news

[Howie]

Region's historic population fall
By Mark McGregor
BBC News, Merseyside

Merseyside's population fell faster and further over the last 25 years than anywhere else in England, a report has highlighted, (see BBC NEWS | UK | Changing UK: BBC Merseyside).

More...

[Howie]

?50m lifeline for Mersey economy
Dec 9 2008
by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post



THE North West Development Agency (NWDA) last night unveiled a ?50m funding lifeline to help Merseyside businesses beat the worst ravages of the recession.

The agency is also bringing forward up to ?30m of funding from its 2010 budget by 12 months to make sure money is pumped into the region, is what is envisaged to be the toughest period of the recession.

From next week, small loans, from ?3,000 to ?50,000, will be made available to Merseyside businesses, and, from early next year, loans of between ?50,000 and ?250,000 will come on line. In addition, equity funding of up to ?2m will be introduced early next year.

The cash is designed to help companies unable to get access to affordable finance from commercial lending sources.

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