‘I was looking for a job and options felt thin on the ground’

Ryan Mcfadden, 34, a civil servant, moved back to Glasgow in 2015 after working in London as a press officer for an accountancy trade body.

Mr Mcfadden originally moved south due to a per- ceived lack of employment opportunities in his home city. Upon his return to Scotland, he found finding a job more difficult than he had first envisioned, but now feels settled in Glasgow.

“I had never lived outside of Glasgow before and it was something I was keen to try. I was looking for a job at the time and options felt thin on the ground. The cost of living is high in London, certainly in terms of rent, but I saw that as a bargain I’d made in order to live there.

“My partner was living in Glasgow so travelling could be expensive and tiring. The last train from Glasgow to London of a Sunday evening was a grim journey.

“I was moving in with my partner in Glasgow so I had to find something quickly. It was more important to get a job that could help pay the bills than get a job that I actually wanted to do.

“Although I was grateful for the work, my job when I came back wasn’t what I wanted to do, but I’ve moved about a little since then and I’m happy now.”