The South West Observatory has produced a report on the impact of public sector spending cuts in the South West region. The report assesses the available evidence on the impact of the cuts in the region in terms of loss to public sector jobs, reduced capital spending, lower levels of private sector procurement, welfare reform and reduction to public service provision. The paper can be accessed here.

The impacts on Wiltshire of the global "credit crunch" and the UK recession have been examined, with the findings set out in the following reports.

The South West Regional Development Agency produces a compilation of regularly updated economic indicators for standard statistical areas in the region, including the Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough areas. The latest compilation can be accessed by clicking here.  

The Economy Module of the South West Observatory regularly publish simulations and projections to provide insights into where the economy is heading in the short, medium and longer term. These can be accessed by clicking here, along with recently published 20 year growth scenarios for the region and sub-regions.

The Wiltshire Business Perception Survey went live on the Wiltshire Council Website on 29th November 2011 and closed for analysis on 18th January 2012. The survey was carried out in order to support the strategic development of the Wiltshire and Swindon Economic Partnership and to inform debate and action to offset the slow recovery from recession being experienced across the UK and locally. The report below summarises the results of this survey.

The South West Business Survey, funded by the Higher Education Innovation Fund and conducted by SERIO at the University of Plymouth, explores how businesses in the South West are coping in the current economic climate. The key findings from the survey can be accessed below.  

The Skills and Learning Intelligence Module (SLIM) of the South West Observatory has produced a sub-regional analysis of employment and skills in Wiltshire, which can be downloaded below. A number of other regional and sub-regional datasets and reports can be accessed through the SLIM webpage.

The Wiltshire Workspace and Employment Land Strategy 2009 assesses the employment land requirements in Wiltshire for the period from 2006 to 2026. The study was based on existing policy, comprehensive consultation and an assessment of the demand for and supply of employment land. The strategy and associated delivery plan and appendices can be accessed by clicking here.

The economic significance of the military in presence in the south west region, and the potential economic impacts of a number of expected military changes in Wiltshire and the wider south west have been explored in a report, which can be accessed through the Military in Wiltshire page of this site.

We are changing our data set and calculation method for the average house price in Wiltshire. The Department for Communities and Local Government’s (DCLG) land registry raw data will be used instead of the house price index (HPI). The land registry data set includes information with regards to auctions and repossessions, two items the HPI does not include. The data set is updated quarterly and is publicly available (table 582). The data can also be sourced at a sub-Wiltshire level.

The way the data is analysed will change to a median average. This has been chosen to better reflect the true average house price in Wiltshire. A median score unlike a mean calculation does not get distorted by very expensive or very cheap properties. This is especially important with small area analysis. A median calculation is also easier to breakdown into groups than a mean calculation which is useful for housing policies.

Ministry of Justice release quarterly national statistics on possession actions issued in county courts by mortgage lenders and social and private landlords in England and Wales.

The Balancing Act report, commissioned by the Cornwall Development Company, examines the views of 3,000 workers from across the UK on the topic of work-life balance in 2011.

The Cabinet Office produce annual reports and accounts of activity and services provided by the department. 

The South west observatory economic module presents information about the economy and labour market in the south west.