TWO Scottish cities have been ranked among the top five in the UK to live and work for a fourth consecutive year.
Aberdeen and Edinburgh have been ranked in third and fifth place on an evaluation that rates cities in terms of jobs, health, income and skills, work-life balance, house affordability, travel-to-work times, income equality and pollution.
Meanwhile, Glasgow continues to creep up the rankings, from 26th place in 2012 to 24th now. When compared to the 10 largest cities outside of London, Glasgow is also outperforming major English hubs including Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle, Birmingham and Liverpool.
The report, by PwC and think-tank Demos, found that the majority of cities have improved their score as the effects of economic recovery, in particular rising employment and a return to growth in real earnings, are felt across the UK.
However, the impact of lower oil prices has seen Aberdeen fall from a high of 2nd place in 2013 and 2014 to 5th place.
Paul Brewer, PwC’s government and public sector lead in Scotland said: “While Aberdeen’s oil wealth has consistently influenced high scores in areas such as jobs, income and skills, the lower for longer oil price backdrop is beginning to chip away at that. It’s vital that Aberdeen future-proofs itself, extending its success beyond the life of North Sea oil exploration."
Dundee, Inverness, Perth and Stirling performed above average for transport infrastructure and provision, not only in comparison to other devolved cities but the wider UK list.
Skills scored highly in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness while the two major central belt cities also ranked above average for work life balance. Inverness and Perth also scored highly alongside Aberdeen and Edinburgh for jobs.
Mr Brewer added: “Overall, Scottish cities have successfully delivered skills, communications, and employment opportunities with work/life balance. Investors want high-level skills readily accessible, competitive operating costs and strong infrastructure. These are key drivers of investment that can in turn drive up sustainable employment."
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