Boosting productivity key to NI growth
![Cara Taylor of Ulster Bank](https://www.northernirelandworld.com/webimg/legacy_oak_108504126.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![Cara Taylor of Ulster Bank](/img/placeholder.png)
Having a more skilled workforce was seen by firms as the biggest potential boost to productivity (35%), with better equipment or machinery (25%), an improved workplace culture (14%) and fewer distractions (14%) also cited.
Carried out by Perceptive Insight, the survey analysed the growth performance of local businesses with between five and 50 employees across a range of sectors – including food & drink, technology, construction and retail.
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Hide Ad“Boosting productivity is perhaps the biggest challenge and opportunity for the Northern Ireland economy, so it is encouraging that over 90% of small businesses recognise the importance of becoming more productive,” said Cara Taylor, business growth enabler at Ulster Bank.
“However, the fact that one-in-three companies say they are not doing anything about it shows that there is still much to be done.”
Sixty-two per cent of firms expected to be impacted in some way by the lack of political stability in Northern Ireland while 61% felt it would impact either a little (29%) or a lot (32%), on the successful development of their business.