Glasgow and Edinburgh among UK cities with strongest job growth

SCOTLAND'S two biggest cities saw some of the strongest job growth last quarter, placing it well ahead of the national average, according to new research.

The Glasgow skyline. Glasgow experienced some of the strongest job growth in the country according to a new report.

The ‘Q4 2015 Job Market Report’ from independent online job board, CV-Library, revealed both cities enjoyed a considerable rise in job postings from Q4 2014 when compared to Q4 2015.

In Edinburgh job postings for roles in the city rose by 25.3 per cent in Q4 2015, compared to Q4 2014, positioning it ahead of the nation’s average job growth of 19.1 per cent.

In addition to job growth, the city also saw a rise in the number of job applications being made to available roles.

Job applications went up by 39.1 per cent in Q4 2015, compared to Q4 2014, seeing over 30,000 applications in the last quarter alone. This growth is well ahead of the national average of 18.7 per cent, standing the city in good stead for the year ahead.

Councillor Frank Ross, Edinburgh’s Economy Leader, said: “Edinburgh is an entrepreneurial city. Our productivity remains significantly higher than both the Scottish and UK average, and our unemployment rate is at a record low.”

But Glasgow outperformed the Capital and also experienced strong job growth in Q4 with a 27.1 per cent rise in job postings.

Commenting on the figures, Councillor Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “The news that Glasgow is now one of the UK’s best performing cities in terms of job growth is very welcome, and bodes well for the city’s future as the economic centre of Scotland.

“This is no accident, however, and has come about through the work of the council and our partners in the public and private sectors.

“Glasgow is an economic powerhouse, with the most comprehensive support for small and medium-sized businesses of any city in the UK.”

According to the report, the top 10 list of cities that saw strongest job growth last quarter were:

Cardiff – 43.9 per cent

Liverpool – 38.2 per cent

Glasgow – 27.1 per cent

Hull– 26.5 per cent

Edinburgh – 25.3 per cent

Leeds– 23.9 per cent

Manchester– 19.6 per cent

Brighton – 19.4 per cent

Birmingham– 18.1 per cent

London– 18 per cent