For the fourth year running, the Leiden region is showing positive economic growth figures. This is evidenced by the Index071 by the firm Blaauwberg, which was drafted at the commission of Economie071. The growth is primarily attributable to the life sciences cluster and the activities directly related to it. The medical-biological cluster is creating stability and elevating the Leiden region above the national average. The rest of the economy presents a calm image. Geographically, the growth is not uniformly distributed. Jobs and companies are moving to the centre of the region: to Leiden, and to a somewhat lesser degree to Oegstgeest. Other places show stabilisation or even mild decline. The index figures relating to pre-vocational secondary education indicate a point of concern. A shortage of well-trained upper secondary vocational graduates threatens. In order to gain a more detailed picture of this matter, a separate scan was carried out as part of a labour market special.
Growth in the core city
This is the first time that we are seeing this movement to the centre of the 071 area, but it proves to fit into a national and even international trend. Knowledge institutes, higher education and “driving commercial activity” – referring to companies marketing their products or services outside of a region – are clustering within a handful of cities. Young, highly trained people subsequently move to these cities seeking jobs and/or education. Growth in the core city is, however, no guarantee of success for the surrounding region or local SMEs. Viewed this way, the Leiden region’s task is to further increase the interrelationships between the successful life sciences cluster and the rest of the economy and the region.
Upward trend continues
The Index071 measures the overall economic growth within the 071 municipalities: Katwijk, Leiden, Leiderdorp, Oegstgeest, Voorschoten and Zoeterwoude. The advances have been measured since the base year 2012. That year has been awarded the index figure 100. The growth in subsequent years can be inferred from a higher or lower figure. For 2017, the index figure stands at 117, indicating a growth of 17 index points. The index figure comprises 37 different measuring points distributed across the five themes of the economic agenda: life sciences & health, entrepreneurship and young talent, education and labour market, business climate and region marketing. The publication of the Index071 of this year is paired with the publication of a Labour Market Special. Both documents are strongly interlinked.
Labour Market Special
The Index provides a global overview of the economic advances in the 071 region. The Labour Market Special provides more information about, among others: the uneven job growth, the shortage of technical staff, the rise of self-employed workers, the influence of robotisation on the labour market, and the care for the occupationally disabled.