CEPH Research Associate Dr David Jordan (Queen’s University Belfast) has been appointed as an advisor to Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy, and will advise the Economy Minister on the productivity gap in Northern Ireland.

When asked about the role, Dr. Jordan commented:
“I am very pleased to have been appointed as an independent expert to advise the Department for the Economy on productivity. Low productivity is a major challenge for Northern Ireland’s economy, and closing the persistent productivity gap is key to raising the standard of living for everyone in Northern Ireland. The economic vision set out by the Economy Minister, Conor Murphy, puts productivity at the heart of the Department for the Economy’s policy strategy, alongside good jobs, regional balance, and net zero. This focus on productivity is very welcome, and while it is a long-term challenge, I look forward to contributing towards addressing the productivity gap.”

Dr Jordan has been a long-time contributor to the Productivity Institute, whose dashboard provides important economic context and advice to Westminster and Stormont, particularly post-Brexit. He co-authores the Northern Ireland Productivity Dashboard, which measures how Northern Ireland performs across key drivers of productivity, relative to the UK average and other regions, and over time. Dr Jordan’s appointment demonstrates the importance and usefulness of economic history in the policymaking sphere.

For more information, read the press release on the Department for the Economy’s website here.