Unemployment in Renfrewshire is falling faster than the UK and Scottish average – with the number of young people out of work having more than halved since 2012.
Latest figures show 2.7% of residents claiming out-of-work benefits – down from 3.9% at the same time last year.
The October figures also show the unemployment rate among those aged 16 to 24 sitting at 4.2%, having been 10.9% in summer 2012 and 7.3% this time last year.
That drop has been attributed to the council’s Invest in Renfrewshire programme to tackle unemployment – which was set up almost two-and-a-half years ago.
Invest in Renfrewshire is a two-pronged approach to boost the area’s economy and get people into work – businesses can access financial help to grow and create jobs, while residents are offered support to find, get ready for and keep work.
The Invest programme started out with a focus on young people – and the latest figures show Renfrewshire is now ranked 18th of Scotland’s 32 local authorities for youth unemployment, having been 26th in summer 2012.
This weekend, the Invest in Renfrewshire team were honoured at Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce’s annual ROCCO ceremony with a special recognition award.
Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan said: “These latest unemployment figures are really encouraging and the show the extent to which we have been consistently moving in the right direction over the past two years.
“The council made a significant financial commitment to Invest in Renfrewshire in the past few budgets because we see helping people into work as a top priority for us.
“The extent to which Renfrewshire’s out-of-work rate is now consistently outperforming areas with similar levels of deprivation is testament to the success of the programme and the efforts of the people who work on it.
“The team’s hard work was recognised at the weekend by the Chamber of Commerce at their ROCCO awards, and all involved are grateful for that honour.
“But while the results to date have been impressive, there are still a lot people out there to help, and this council will continue fighting to create jobs for Renfrewshire residents
“We have already committed funding to the Invest programme until 2017 and between that and our work to use Paisley’s culture and heritage to bring jobs and investment to the area, we believe we can continue to improve.”
For more information on the Invest in Renfrewshire programme, businesses and residents can call 0300 300 1180 or visit www.investinrenfrewshire.com