Welcome

South West Observatory

'Important decisions should be based on the best available evidence'

The South West Observatory (SWO) works towards this vision by drawing together research, resources and analysis from its network of individuals and organisations working across policy themes and from different local areas in the South West. We do this to build a clearer understanding of the issues affecting people living and working in this part of the country to support and inform policy and decision makers.

SWO is a jointly-owned intelligence resource, enabling better decision making by:

Providing and signposting recent data, analysis, research and reports
Sharing ideas, best practice and resources between a professional network to achieve efficiencies
Organising regular themed events and training sessions on policy areas and research tools.
Undertaking joint work and joint commissions to benefit network partners
Conducting bespoke, commissioned work to meet specific evidence need.

For more see About Us. To download the latest Annual Report 2011/12, click on the link. To subscribe to our weekly e-bulletin see Sign Up.

Local Analysis

Click on an area to access information about its population, economy, skills, health, environment and more...

News from SWO

West of England Quarterly Reports & Survey
Through the West of England LEP website you'll now find the Executive Summary to the West of England LEP Quarterly Economic Bulletin and the Barriers to Growth Survey Report. These documents are available to download from the LEP website at http://www.westofenglandlep.co.uk/about-us/economic-intelligence/reports-and-surveys 02/05/2013
Business West's Quarterly Economic Survey
Access the latest Quarterly Economic Survey results for the South West, compiled by Business West. The Business West quarterly survey provides a regular assessment on the economic situation of local business and is a valuable source of intelligence for businesses, politicians and policy makers. On a national level, results from the survey feed into the British Chambers quarterly survey, recognised as the largest and most representative independent business survey. There were 537 responses... 24/04/2013
PMI Report highlights decline in business activity for second successive month
Business activity in the South West private sector declined for the second successive month in March. However, the rate of reduction was fractional. New business also fell for the second month in a row, and at a modest pace. Backlogs of work declined solidly, while staff numbers fell only marginally. Output charges were raised at the strongest rate in 18 months. For more download the latest Markit / Lloyds TSB PMI Report for the South West. 15/04/2013
Latest Culture Module Finding the Dots
Read the Culture Module's latest April edition of Finding the Dots, with lots on cultural research and policy developments. Please email any feedback or questions to culture@swo.org.uk. 14/04/2013
April Update - South West Business Tracker
The South West Business Tracker has just been published providing 'real-time' information about the performance of some of the most significant publicly traded businesses in the region. The April 2013 update to the Business Tracker highlights the continued strong performance of the stock market over the first few months of the year reflected in SW Business Tracker companies. The consolidated price index continued to rise strongly during January and February, with a small downward adjustment... 03/04/2013
Economic Survey highlights first quarter progress thanks to service sector
The Q1 2013 British Chambers of Commerce's Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) shows that the economy has made progress, but there are still some mountains to climb before it is fully back on track. The new survey, made up of responses from more than 7,000 businesses, shows that most key balances in both the manufacturing and service sectors strengthened in the first quarter of 2013. Export balances in services are particularly strong, with deliveries and orders near the all time high in 1994.... 02/04/2013
Total and youth unemployment increases in the last month, but overall decline over the past year
Please note that these figures, sourced from NOMISweb, are not seasonally adjusted, and so may differ from those published elsewhere. Last week's claimant count release highlights that the total number of working age people (16-64) claiming Job Seeker's Allowance in the South West increased from 88,817 to 90,670 between January and February 2013, (+1,853, or 2.0%). It also shows, however, how the total number of claimants in the South West is lower than this time last year -having fallen by... 28/03/2013
Housing, Planning and the Economy - Post Event Information
Following on from last month's Housing, Planning and the Economy event, you'll now find all presentations added to the SWO site, including a short video of George Ferguson's presentations (also see above). We're also grateful to speakers on the day, including Nick Boles MP and Glen Bramley, who have provided mini follow-up essays on the topic. Read their thoughts and observations by following the below link. 22/03/2013

State of the South West 2012

Click to access the report

Since 2004, SWO has drawn together expertise from across its modules and academia to produce the State of the South West report. The report describes recent trends and highlights key challenges and issues faced by this part of the country. Over the years, the publication has proved a valuable way to understand the make-up of the region, and has provided a snapshot that also allows comparison over time.

The State of the South West has to-date been published in a three year cycle, it is updated annually online and a What’s Changed? document is usually produced in year three. The State of the South West 2010 was published in March 2010. In May of the same year, the election of the Coalition Government started a process of significant Public Sector reform. A key theme of the Coalition’s Programme for Government was a move away from regionalism to localism.

This has led to the loss of a number of organisations and working arrangements, and the emergence of new structures aimed at driving local growth and priorities. In view of the widespread nature of the reform underway, we have chosen to produce a slightly different publication this year: The Changing State of the South West. As well as assessing and highlighting key regional information about their topics, we asked contributors to comment on the policy context relevant to their sector, and (where possible) on what might happen next in this rapidly changing policy environment.

With widespread change in all areas impacting on the work we do or the way we do it, understanding and applying evidence has never been more important. We hope that you find the Changing State of the South West 2012 a useful publication in informing your opinions and decisions and that it contributes to the shared understanding of the South West that SWO seeks to promote.

STATE OF THE SOUTH WEST DATA

The chart below is drawn from the Changing State of the South West which brings together a snapshot of regional data from a range of sources and puts them in 2012’s policy context. This chart refreshes on each visit.

Click on the chart below to find out more.

South West long-term unemployment Find out more about South West long-term unemployment through the labour force section of the Changing State of the South West 2012.