The Liverpool City Region (LCR) has one of the highest economic inactivity rates in England, with nearly one in four working-age adults affected. Among those with disabilities, poor health and informal caring responsibilities, this rises to 34%. LEAF is a 2-year collaborative research project investigating this, funded by UK Research and Innovation, led by the University of Liverpool in partnership with Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Liverpool John Moores University. 

Our vision is to combine the collective insights from local communities, policymakers, and employers in the Liverpool City Region with academic research to better understand barriers to employment and co-develop tailored solutions that reflect the realities of those most affected. We aim to deliver new insight, develop tools for future research and policy development, and create a sustained societal impact. Our four interconnected work packages address the root causes of economic inactivity, including disability or poor health, informal caring responsibilities and the skills gap.