Jobs boost makes cities real hot properties

SCOTLAND’S cities are among the best places to live in the UK, a study has found.

Edinburgh and Aberdeen are highlights of the research by professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

The recovery of the Granite City’s economy following the oil and gas downturn of 2014 see it move up from ninth to sixth place in the company’s Good Growth for Cities Index – overtaking the capital, which fell one place to number seven.

Increases in income, jobs growth and skills development opportunities have been cited as the ‘drivers of growth’ among the Scottish cities on the index between 2016-18.

Glasgow – the only other Scottish city on the national index – moves up one spot to 24. The index, which is based on 11 indicators other than GDP compares 42 cities across the UK in its national index.

Factors include employment, health, income and skills, housing affordability, commuting times, environmental factors, and income inequality.

Stewart Wilson, head of government and public sector for PwC Scotland said: ‘Scotland is in an incredibly advantageous position as the world moves into a new age where digitalisation and climate change dominate business and political agendas.

‘With a commitment to lower emissions, this year’s Good Growth for Cities index shows that Scotland’s key cities are outperforming the national average in carbon emissions per average earnings, and in improving skills.’

Oxford retained its place as the top ranked city in the UK this year, followed by Reading and Southampton. Bristol and Milton Keynes rounded off the top five. Bradford is the most improved city compared with the previous index, ahead of Liverpool and Norwich.

Of the three Scottish cities which made the national index, Aberdeen scored above the national average in seven of the 11 indicators.

The city’s higher position is down to improvements in health, work-life balance, housing affordability and income distribution, while it is the best performing city in the UK when measuring house prices relative to earnings.