The second section provides an analysis of some key labour market and skills indicators for the North, highlighting key challenges and opportunities. It also looks forward, and draws on some economic forecasts to consider the shape of future labour market challenges for the North, and offer some projections for how long recovery might take.

The final section summarises key element of employment and skills policy, identifies some challenges and issues with current policy that commissioners may wish to consider for making recommendations.

Download full 'recovery index' data (.xls) compiled by Oxford Economics for the IPPR North Northern Economic Futures Commission