Milton Keynes is among the best places in the country for good, well paid and secure jobs for local people, finds a recent report.
The Annual Good Growth for Cities Index, published by PWC puts Milton Keynes among the best places for good economic growth, with the city scoring particularly highly on new businesses, job creation and pay.
The index suggests that the MK’s underlying strengths will help it recover well over the long term. This follows the UK Powerhouse report, published in November 2020, which predicted that MK will lead the UK economic recovery.
The Good Growth Index covers measures of economic success, including jobs, income, health, skills, work-life balance, housing, transport and the environment. In this year’s report, the focus is on the economic impact of COVID-19 and recovery prospects for the UK’s largest towns and cities in 2021 and beyond.
The report recommends that as well as short term measures to protect jobs and maintain income levels, cities should build the foundations for longer-term recovery by improving local skills, encouraging new business development and addressing local environmental challenges. This supports the approach taken in Milton Keynes Council’s £2.25m Economic Recovery Plan.
Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Cllr Carole Baume, said: “It’s great to see another vote of confidence in Milton Keynes and its recovery, which highlights our underlying strengths. We know that many local businesses have it really tough right now and we are doing what we can to provide support through our Economic Recovery Plan and business grants.
“More help will be available in our council budget for next year. I’m confident that that through our collective efforts with local businesses and people we will see a strong economic recovery.”
