The employment impact of demographic change: A regional analysis

The central concern of this article is with measurement of the economic impact of demographic change at a regional level. To facilitate this, a method is developed which involves the linking together of two hitherto separate analytical techniques: labour market accounts and extended input-output models. The application of the method is demonstrated by reference to three UK regions - West Midlands, Merseyside, and East Anglia - with contrasting demographic and economic histories over the time intervals 1971-1981 and 1981-1991. The employment impact of consumption derived from demographic change is measured in relation to individual elements of the labour market account and comparisons are made with the effects of economic change over the same time periods.