“While this increase in productivity is a welcome and positive start to 2018, 0.9% is still a small step at a time when giant leaps are needed. The UK's productivity remains well below pre-crash levels and with Brexit around the corner, unless a more concerted effort is made to improve productivity, we won’t be in a strong enough position to compete once we leave the EU. Moreover, it is too early to say whether this is a sustained recovery or, as we have seen in the past, a temporary blip that ends in disappointment.
“If the Government is making New Year’s resolutions, playing a more active role in highlighting the barriers to productivity for UK organisations and stepping in where needed would be wise. Investment in skills will be key in 2018, creating higher skilled, higher value roles for people to progress into. Equally important will be improving the way people are both managed and developed at work, unleashing productivity by allowing employees to use their initiative, be innovative and be stimulated by their work, leaving the restrictions of unnecessary workplace procedures behind in 2017."
