Chester has ranked 14th place nationwide for economic effectiveness, in new analysis assessing the productivity of local economies.

The new study from CoworkingCafe examines which British cities are the most economically effective - not just in terms of productivity, but also those rich in jobs and businesses.

Ranking Britain's top 15 cities and towns at the forefront of economic effectiveness, it assessed how well local economies convert work into output.

Chester has ranked 14th place nationwide, supported by its top-tier labour productivity, a highly engaged workforce and a solid base of local businesses. 

A spokesperson for CoworkingCafe said: "In 14th place, Chester demonstrates that mid-sized cities can generate strong economic value without London's influence.

"In fact, it's comfortably in the top 10 when it comes to the key efficiency metrics with its productivity averaging £47.9 GVA/h and its employment rate standing at 82.6%."

Despite the city's job and business density holding it back, both ranking 27th nationally, it is compensated by its high workforce engagement and output, "making Chester the clear efficiency leader of the North West."

As one of Britain's strongest labour markets, according to CoworkingCafe, Chester boasts an 82.6% employment rate, ranking 8th nationally.

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With London excluded from the study's main ranking, due to its size and economic scale, Slough took first place - followed by Swindon in second and Wokingham in third.

The analysis identified an "efficiency belt" surrounding London - with Sevenoaks, Basingstoke, Winchester and Reading performing strongly.

Regional cities such as Edinburgh, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick and Chester also rank highly, highlighting that economic effectiveness extends well beyond the capital. 

As a benchmark, London's labour productivity (£54 GVA/h) trails several top-performing smaller cities, while its per-capita job and business density is frequently matched or exceeded elsewhere.