Low productivity particularly damaging for Derry, says Colum Eastwood

Mr. Eastwood was speaking after figures from The Productivity Institute and University of Manchester showed that the North ranked 12th out of the UK's twelve regions for productivity performance.

"The persistently low productivity levels in Northern Ireland have a detrimental impact on cities like Derry, which have been starved of investment for decades, providing even more significant challenges.

"In Derry, the Gross median weekly pay and disposable household income per head is well below the local authority median,” said the SDLP leader.

He said ‘limited opportunities’ and ‘constrained innovation’ are holding Derry back.

"New census data this year showed the unemployment rate in our city at 3.7 per cent - the highest of all 11 local council areas. Derry can no longer suffer decreased competitiveness, limited job opportunities, and constrained innovation. We have talent and creativity that rivals anywhere else on these islands and it's time that we enjoyed the same opportunities.

"Without a concerted effort to address this productivity gap, Derry and other regions in Northern Ireland will find it harder to achieve sustainable growth and fulfil their economic potential.

"Successive Stormont governments have let Derry down, and while the DUP continues to lock people out of making changes here the situation will only worsen. It's time they allowed MLAs to get back to work so we can take steps to address these issues and the SDLP will continue to fight to ensure that no community in Northern Ireland is left behind."

Derry economy lags far behind Belfast with productivity 23% below UK level