Improving data visualisation for the public sector

A new resource to help public sector researchers improve the way they visualise data has recently been launched.

DataViz, at www.improving-visualisation.org, is a new website launched by OCSI containing a gallery of visualisation types (which you can browse by tag).

There are also useful case studies on what makes for good visualisation, practical steps for improving visualisation and a review of online visualisation tools.

Unemployment rates in Worcestershire: August 2009

Worcestershire County Council’s research and intelligence unit publish a monthly round-up of employment fact and figures.

These statistics are broken down by wards and districts, and also show the picture for the whole of Worcestershire in comparison to the West Midlands.

Highlights from the August 2009 summary (PDF, 713kb) include:

Web service API for Observatory’s search service

A new search engine went live on the Observatory’s website last month. The aim is to provide you with better search results — ranked by relevancy — and more detailed controls over refinements to your search results.

Another feature is that the search service provides search results from other regional organisations’ websites; the search isn’t limited to the pages within wmro.org.

Also, the search service is open for use by other organisations. The search functions are exposed as a web service API, which developers can use to query our search index and display the results in their own websites or applications.

Speakers announced for the 2009 conference

One month to go until the Observatory’s 2009 conference – “West Midlands: Fit for the Future?” – on Tuesday 20th October at the Ramada Hotel in Sutton Coldfield.

Book online or fax us a booking form

Entitled “West Midlands: Fit for the Future?”, the conference will follow on from a book of the same name launched by the Observatory in July. The focus will be on the economic recovery of the region, rather than the recession, and how we position the West Midlands to ‘hit the ground running’. Delegates will be encouraged to discuss issues raised in the book and influence development of the evidence base to inform the Single Regional Strategy.

Invitation to ONS 2011 Census outputs consultation event in Leicester

The next full census of England and Wales will take place in 2011. It includes a number of new approaches which will be evaluated during a rehearsal on 11th October 2009 with around 135,000 selected households in three local authority areas.

The Census Rehearsal will test, among other things, the questions being asked, the accuracy of the address list for posting out questionnaires and the new internet services for getting help and completing questionnaires online.

Planning and preparation for the outputs from the 2011 Census is continuing with a series of roadshows in October 2009 to formally start the consultation on outputs.

Along with the original event locations across England, an additional event will now be held at the Marriott Hotel in Leicester on Monday 12th October Thursday 22nd October.

Place Survey results 2008

The results of the Place Survey 2008 have recently been released.

This is a national survey administered by local authorities. It aims to collect consistent national data on the way people feel about their local area and the way in which their local authority is run.

We can use the results of the place survey to compare the West Midlands region as a whole to other English regions, and to compare local authorities within the West Midlands to one another.

Secondment opportunity for research analyst at the Observatory

The Observatory is currently looking for an experienced research analyst to provide maternity cover for one of our team.

The post is available as a part-time secondment, working with us for 2-3 days per week until next summer.

The Observatory will be able to cover salary and related costs for the postholder for the days they are working for us.

Here’s the job description (DOC, 52kb).

ONS article investigates economic productivity in urban versus rural areas

Contrasts in the economic productivity of urban versus rural local authorities, and the factors contributing to the varying performance of the economies of English regions, are both the subject of an article in the latest edition of Economic & Labour Market Review.

The article in the ONS publication takes a detailed look at Gross Value Added per filled job (GVA per job) statistics for groups of local authorities in each English region, using DEFRA classifications (PDF, 52kb) which group local authorities according to their urban/rural composition characteristics.

In the West Midlands region and among the six local authority classifications, ‘Major Urban’ local authorities (for example, Birmingham) were found to be the most productive, with GVA per job averaging an indexed value of 90.4 (where England=100) for 2004 to 2006. However, this represented a noteworthy decline from the value of 95.8 recorded in 2001 to 2003.

West Midlands employment rate hits lowest level since 1993

The latest unemployment data released by the Office for National Statistics today shows the West Midlands continues to be worst affected by the recession.

The employment rate in the West Midlands has fallen to 69.9%, dipping below 70% for the first time since 1993.

There are now 100,000 fewer people in employment in the region than at the beginning of 2008. The employment rate has fallen faster than elsewhere and the gap between the West Midlands and England continues to grow.

Mental ill-health is a growing cause of unemployment in the West Midlands

A new report, Mental Health and Employment in the West Midlands (PDF, 483kb) by the West Midlands Regional Observatory highlights the growing problem of mental ill-health in the region.

Following the Economic Inclusion Baseline Report for the West Midlands (PDF, 2.16mb) published in April 2009, which found mental ill-health to be one of the biggest causes of worklessness in the region, our new report focuses on the issue of mental health and employment.

The report provides information and statistics on the links between mental health problems and employment issues within the West Midlands, as well as reviewing recent research and policy options aimed at overcoming employment barriers.

Trade statistics highlight severity of decline in West Midlands exports during recession

The latest UK Regional Trade Estimates released by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), show that the total value of goods exported from the West Midlands decreased by 12.5% to £14,352 million in the 12 months to June 2009, compared to the 12 months to June 2008.

The West Midlands recorded the largest decrease in exports of any English region over the one year period. Statistics for individual quarters indicate that the low point of the recession so far was recorded in Q1 2009, when the total value of exports from the West Midlands was estimated at £2,998m (down from £3,893m in Q4 2008).

Survey on destinations of graduates from higher education

The Destinations of leavers from higher education longitudinal survey (PDF, 2.02mb) is a new report published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

The survey aims to examine what graduates are doing three years after graduation. Questionnaires were completed by graduates who left university in 2004/05 on a range of subjects including their activities during November 2008.

New report on innovation in a changing economy

In difficult economic times, firms need to adapt if they are going to survive. Innovation is particularly important at such times. However, as the economy changes to one increasingly dependent on services then so must our view of innovation.

One of the Observatory’s new State of the Region thematic reports, The Importance of Innovation in a Changing  Economy (PDF, 685kb), looks at how innovation can continue to drive change in the economy of the future.

Developing a high growth knowledge economy in the West Midlands

Knowledge intensive industries rely on innovation and knowledge to gain competitive advantage and, although the sector has grown rapidly in recent years, the West Midlands has struggled to attract these activities.

Through a state of the region dialogue on the West Midlands’ knowledge economy (pdf, 383kb), the Observatory has identified a range of actions to address this, developed and agreed by a range of policy makers, researchers and academics.

Diagnosis of the Active People Survey online diagnostic tool

Active People Diagnostic is an interactive online tool that enables you to explore Sport England’s Active People Survey results in detail.

I’ve been aware of this tool for some time, but have recently become more interested in its capabilities since the results of the second Active People Survey were added – meaning the tool now allows for comparison between the results of Active People 1 (2005/06) and Active People 2 (2007/08).