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Levels of Employment

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Information is available from the Annual Population Survey (opens new window) on resident and workplace employment at local authority level. 

For this briefing comparisons will be made on changes over time and between local authorities in west central Scotland. 

Reference will also be made to changes in the size of the working age population as this is a key determinant in employment levels. 

Commuting patterns are an intrinsic feature of the relationship between areas.

Resident Employment in West Central Scotland

Resident employment is a measure of the number of people in employment that live in a certain area, regardless of where they work.

Table 1: Resident Employment in West Central Scotland

               Area

   2005

   2010

   2015

   2020

  2005-20  

 Glasgow

 243,100  

  245,700  

 275,900  

  304,100  

  61,000

East Dunbartonshire   

   52,300

    48,700

   49,200

    48,700

   -3,600

 East Renfrewshire

   43,300

    40,500

   41,900

    42,600

      -700

 Inverclyde

   36,100

    36,700

   33,700

    32,200

    -3,900

 North Lanarkshire

 148,500

  151,800

 156,800

  152,100

     3,600

 Renfrewshire

   80,600

    77,600

   82,700

    86,400

     5,800

 South Lanarkshire

 144,100

   145,700

 154,100

  152,000

     7,900

 West Dunbartonshire   

   41,400

    39,800

   39,700

    40,700

      -700

 NGC

 546,300  

   540,800

 558,100  

  554,700  

     8,400

Persons aged between 16-64 years, in full- and part-time employment, twelve months to December.

Workplace Employment in West Central Scotland

Workplace employment counts the number of jobs in an area, regardless of where the people taking these jobs live.

Table 2: Workplace Employment in West Central Scotland

 Area

   2005

   2010

   2015

    2020

   2005-20  

 Glasgow

  397,700  

  397,000  

  445,700  

 460,100  

     62,400

 East Dunbartonshire   

    26,400

    25,400

    26,700

   28,600

       2,200

 East Renfrewshire

    14,400

    13,100

    14,600

   19,800

       5,400

 Inverclyde

    33,400

    31,900

    30,200

   28,800

      -4,600

 North Lanarkshire

  114,600

   111,800

  113,500

 124,300

       9,700

 Renfrewshire

    63,800

    64,800

    67,500

   66,700

       2,900

 South Lanarkshire

  104,100

  101,800

  106,700

 100,300

      -3,800

 West Dunbartonshire   

    47,000

    41,000

    42,100

   44,900

      -2,100

 NGC

  403,700  

  389,800

  401,300  

 413,400

       9,700

 

Taking Glasgow as an example, in 2020 as a workplace the city housed 460,100 jobs, and yet the resident employment was only 304,100. 

According to the 2011 census, around 10% of Glasgow residents in employment out-commute, this suggests that around 190,000 jobs are taken by in-commuters.

The data clearly shows that in the last 15 years both resident and workplace employment levels have increased at a far greater rate in Glasgow compared with the surrounding local authorities. 

An interesting aspect of the increases in Glasgow is that the numeric increase in both has been almost identical, 61,000 in resident employment, 62,400 in workplace employment. 

One interpretation of this is that the main beneficiaries of the increase in employment in Glasgow have largely been Glasgow residents, if some jobs have gone to in-commuters the data suggests this will have been offset by a similar number of Glasgow out-commuters. 

Population Aged 16-64 in West Central Scotland

Another reason explaining the employment growth in Glasgow is that the working age population has been increasing, again, by almost the same amount as the increases in employment. 

The 16-64 age group includes people in full-time education, with caring responsibilities, health problems, in early retirement as well as those unemployed, not all the increase in the age group will lead to the increase in employment.

Table 3: Population Aged 16-64 in West Central Scotland

              Area

    2005  

     2010

     2015

     2020

   2005-20  

 Glasgow

  383,600  

   407,900  

  425,300  

  449,500  

     65,900

 East Dunbartonshire

    67,300

     66,000

    65,400

    64,500

      -2,800

 East Renfrewshire

    56,400

     56,400

    56,500

    57,000

          600

Inverclyde

    53,400

     53,000

    50,600

    48,200

      -5,200

 North Lanarkshire

  215,700

   221,600

  219,300

  219,100

       3,400

 Renfrewshire

  112,200

   114,000

  112,600

  115,100

       2,900

 South Lanarkshire

  200,800

  204,900

  202,800

  201,800

       1,000

 West Dunbartonshire  

    59,900

    59,800

    58,000

    56,000

      -3,900

 NGC

  765,700

  775,700  

  765,200

  761,700

      -4,000

The table shows that while the 16-64 age group increased in number between 2005 and 2020 in Glasgow; over the same time period in the surrounding local authorities the aggregate number actually declined.

Summary

Taken together, the data suggests two quite different trends are taking place in Glasgow and in the surrounding local authorities. 

While Glasgow is seeing employment growth and increases in the working-age population; the surrounding local authorities are experiencing far more modest rates of change, and in some cases decline.  Commuting patterns mask the full impact of these changes. 

The more fundamental point is that the city's employment growth appears to have been to the benefits of the city's residents.  A further point of interest is to analyse the type of job and the sector of employment where these changes have been seen. 

It is, however, an issue of concern that some areas may be facing reductions in employment and in the size of the available workforce; this situation requires to be monitored and the further implications of the changes understood in order to avert more serious long-term decline.

Last modified on 10 April 2024

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