City Deal means double jobs boost for Renfrewshire

Unemployed people in Renfrewshire can look forward to doubling their chances of landing a job thanks to the £1.13billion City Deal investment package agreed last week.

Councillor Mark Macmillan, Leader of Renfrewshire Council, said, “The City Deal focuses on 20 major infrastructure projects across the Clyde Valley. Over the course of the Deal it’s expected to create 15,000 construction jobs, while work is underway on these schemes, and 28,000 permanent jobs when work is finished.

Paisley Abbey and Town Hall

“For Renfrewshire, this translates into an extra 1,590 new jobs over and above the 700 jobs we would have expected to see being created by normal economic activity during this period. This represents a 229% increase in growth, compared to 69% across the Clyde Valley as a whole.

“In addition to doubling the expected number of jobs available for local people, the improvements in road and rail links funded by the City Deal will make it easier to access jobs across the whole region.

“This is particularly important for Renfrewshire where we have large numbers of commuters travelling to and from the area. Around 40% of residents work outside Renfrewshire while 38% of local jobs are held by people who live elsewhere.

“The recession saw unemployment rate virtually double between 2008 and 2010 with the young being particularly hard hit. The City Deal means new jobs across the whole employment spectrum including: the financial sector, public administration, distribution, catering, manufacturing, transport and communications.

“These jobs will go a long way to putting employment and the economy back on the right track in Renfrewshire.”

The City Deal package was announced last week by the Prime Minister, David Cameron. It is made up from £500m from Westminster, match funding from the Scottish Government and contributions from the councils which make up the City Region consortium.
The eight participating local authorities in the Glasgow City Region and other local partner organisations worked together to develop the City Deal.

The successful bid is the result of detailed discussions between the local authorities in the City Region and the UK Cabinet Office. Discussions on the details of the scheme were also held with HM Treasury, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Courtesy of Renfrewshire Council.

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