Glasgow has seen one of the biggest increases in employment across the UK over the last three years, new figures have revealed.
The number of people employed in the wider Glasgow area has increased by 12,500 workers from 2019 to 2022 with the rise recorded as joint highest among UK city regions.
But Glasgow City region has also seen the highest increase of economic inactivity due to ill health across major UK ‘core cities’ with a rise of 6.7 per cent.
READ MORE: Glasgow areas could be 'no go zones' for electric chargers due to power capacity
The figures came to light during a presentation on the impacts of Covid on the Glasgow city region labour market.
Andrew Robertson, Glasgow city region intelligence hub manager said there has been “positive change” with the employment “rate going up.”
The jobless rate has dropped by 0.9 per cent with 7,600 people coming out of unemployment, the Glasgow city region cabinet meeting heard yesterday.
Mr Robertson said “unfortunately” there is a rise in economic inactivity due to ill health, adding that it “has been a long standing issue in the region exacerbated by Covid.”
He added: “There has been a rise of 17,700 people who are reported as economically inactive due to ill health."
The rise has been recorded since 2019 and is the highest across the UK core cities.
Mr Robertson also raised the issue of people who don’t have jobs for various involuntary reasons.
He said ‘involuntary activity’ which can be the result of poor health, discouraged workers and perception of job availabilty stands at 12.2 per cent.
Glasgow council leader Susan Aitken, SNP, said the statistics in term of the Covid impact on the workforce were the "clearest" she had seen and described them as “stark."
Councillor Aitken said other data presented elsewhere showed indicators that Glasgow does consistently well on and others where the city scores “poorest,” including skills and economic inactivity relating to long term ill health.
A council officer said statistics show the Glasgow region is either “really good at things or really poor at things and rarely in the middle.”
The Glasgow city region covers Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire.
READ NEXT:
Glasgow parents get income boost of £1.2m thanks to cost of living advisers
Glasgow city centre plan for 350 flats with no car parking for tenants approved
Glasgow nursery children told they CAN attend primary where siblings go, after initial refusal
Glasgow plans lodged to install 20p bottle return machines in four streets
Historic Glasgow school to be demolished to protect 'public safety'
