The Geographical Distribution of UK Talent: causes and consequences

In this paper Cowling considers, in a UK context, how talent is distributed across the larger cities of the UK and the key factors which appear to be driving this spatial distribution. He also considers what the potential economic outcomes of these disparities are for cities in the UK.

The first finding is that talent is unequally distributed across cities, with some having three times more highly educated workers than others.

Talent concentration at the city level is associated with entrepreneurial activity, culture, the presence of a university, and to a lesser degree the housing market. This appears to feed into more knowledge based industry, which is, in turn, associated with higher gross value added.