Since 2016, the Regional Australia Institute and LinkedIn have mapped data on local skills and job mobility of workers in eight regional Australian cities, providing local leaders with critical near-time data on the skills, connections and mobility of their workers.

Contrary to popular opinion, new research shows regional cities generate national economic growth and jobs at the same rate as big metropolitan cities. They are worthy of economic investment in their own right – not just on social and equity grounds.

As Australia gears up to expand the City Deals program to regional cities across the country, there is an urgent need for clarity on the competition criteria and the Government’s ambitions for the quality of proposals, in order to generate quality bids and avoid time...

This analysis examines Australia's 31 regional cities, their economic performance and their prospects for growth. It argues that achieving sustained growth in regional cities will require a locally tailored policy approach.