Revealed: How much a Fife worker contributes to economy every hour

Clocking in was part of everyday life in factories across Fife

Fife's workers make £34.38 an hour for the UK's economy, according to new data.

It means the area's workforce is roughly as productive as the average across the country – but leaves it a long way behind some parts of London.

A leading policy thinktank said the “productivity output gap” is one of the biggest challenges facing the British economy.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show Fife had a gross value added of £34.38 per hour worked in 2018.

It was an increase of two per cent on 2017, and means the area has a similar productivity to the UK average of £35.03 per hour.

GVA is the final value of the goods and services produced in an area and is used to measure contribution to the national economy.

Scotland as a whole has an average GVA of £33.80, making it the third-most productive region in Britain.

However, Fife lags behind Edinburgh (£43.89) and some other parts of Scotland – along with many areas in the capital.

The borough of Hounslow was named the most productive place in Britain, with a GVA per hour of £63.24.

These figures suggest the west London borough is more than three times as productive for the economy as the Welsh county of Powys.

Paul Swinney, director of policy and research at urban policy research unit Centre for Cities, said: “The productivity output gap between northern and southern cities is one of the biggest challenges facing the British economy.

“While cities and large towns in south-eastern England are among the most productive places in Europe, those in the north lag far behind and, as a result, it takes someone in Wigan a full working week to produce what it takes someone in Westminster just two and a half days.

“Addressing this disparity should be central to the Government’s levelling up agenda. Transport investment within big cities will be important, and so will spending on adult education to upskill the workforce.”