Skills Gap Leaves UK Productivity Lagging

A snapshot survey suggests that the UK's productivity levels are falling behind Europe and the US, largely due to lower skills levels.

The Sector Skills Almanac for the UK (2007) found that while the UK's employment rate is the fourth highest in Europe and that some sectors are more productive than their EU and US equivalents, the UK's overall productivity levels are 21% behind the USA and 8% lower than Europe.

The Almanac's, from the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) takes a sectoral approach to the skills and productivity challenge, mapping out and comparing the diff