North of Tyne describes the area covered by Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland local authorities.

It begins at the most southerly boundary of Northumberland and continues north to the border with Scotland, and spans from the North Sea on the east coast to the border with Cumbria in the west.

The area has a population of 880,000, a local economy of £17 billion, over 360,000 jobs and it is home to 23,000 businesses.

The North of Tyne is filled with stunning natural landscapes, great people, and has a strong track record of creating jobs and supporting world-leading businesses.

It also has lots of potential, including:
• one of the fastest-growing local economies and job growth rates in the country
• one of the fastest-growing technology sectors outside of London
• the highest-skilled workforce in the North
• excellent transport links nationally and internationally
• innovation, research and development hubs in two universities and world-leading businesses
• a huge range of natural, historic and cultural assets.

But, we also have a number of challenges, such as:
• consistently higher unemployment than the national average
• lower productivity than the national average
• social inequality with pockets of deprivation and a lack of job opportunities in some areas.

Devolution gives us the chance to make our own decisions about our own future so we can target investment where we know we need it most. We want to make the strong connection between economic growth and providing people with the skills, education and confidence to benefit from the opportunities that will follow.