Some of the report’s findings include the following:

• Within the UK, “extreme regional disparities exist”, with many former industrial and mining areas, such as the North East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the West Midlands are still facing enduring disadvantages. Former mining areas in Wales and Scotland are also notably disadvantaged.
• There are new areas outside London with favourable conditions for innovation and growth including: Aberdeen, Brighton, Bristol, Cheshire West and Chester, Edinburgh, Oxfordshire, Reading and West Berkshire.
• There are other potential development hubs outside of London including Bristol, Edinburgh and Manchester, which are described as ‘magnets for international businesses and highly skilled migrants.’
• Almost half (48.2%) of young people aged 25 to 29 years were in professional occupations between 2022 and 2024. This is up from 36.1% between 2014 and 2016.
• Although more young people are in professional occupations, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds don’t benefit as much from these opportunities as their peers.
• The UK stands alongside countries like France and Japan in offering young people a good chance to exceed their parents educational achievement, but family background continues to heavily shape their life chances. The report found that, despite progress, a child’s education level still heavily depends on their parents’ background.
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