Edinburgh's inspiring workforce
Edinburgh's workforce is one of the most highly qualified in the
UK, with 44.2% of the working age population achieving
qualification to NVQ level 4 or above.
The Inspiring Capital's workforce is also more productive than
any other city in the UK, with Gross Value Added per head of
£30,620. This is well ahead of the UK average of £18,945 and
outstripping that of similar sized cities such as Leeds (£20,613),
Birmingham (£17,984) and Sheffield (£15,853).
This talent base, the area's quality of
life and its environment are key attractions for employers and
their employees.
Migration is a central and growing factor in Edinburgh City
Region's demography and the population is predicted to grow from
1.5m currently to 1.8m by 2030.
Students account for much of this
migration and provide a vital supply of skilled labour, boosting
the area's working age population and knowledge economy.
The city also has the best skills profile in the UK. In 2007, 44% of Edinburgh residents had a degree-level qualification and only 7% had no formal qualifications at all. This strong skills base has helped to attract continued flows of inward investment, even this year...Meanwhile, cities with weaker skills profiles are finding the recession much tougher.
Dermot Finch, Chief Executive, Centre for Cities
