EDINBURGH has the best- qualified workforce of any city in the UK, according to new research.
Across the workforce, the percentage of people with a degree-level qualification or equivalent is higher in
Edinburgh than in any other major UK city with the figure up to 55 per cent from 46 per cent in 2013.
Edinburgh also continues to be the most prosperous city outside London and has created more jobs through foreign direct investment than any other major UK city outside London.
These facts about the capital are contained in the latest online document Edinburgh By Numbers, produced by the City of Edinburgh Council for investors, entrepreneurs and anyone else with an interest in the city.
With the capital’s population set to soar in coming years, the document has sections on people, quality of life, environment, work, social economy, economy and enterprise, tourism, travel and connectivity, and housing, showcasing the city’s attractions. It shows that Edinburgh has the highest net migration in Scotland and a higher than Scottish average natural population growth.
Some 34,600 new workers registered from overseas over the past three years with 74 per cent coming from Europe. The top countries of origin in Europe were Spain, Poland and Italy. Outside Europe, most new workers came from India, China and the USA.
The boasting goes on: more waste was recycled in Edinburgh between April 2013 to March 2015 than in any other major Scottish city and Edinburgh has more green flag parks than any other major UK city with
45 per cent of all the green flag parks in Scotland.
Some 4.1 million people visited
Edinburgh’s top five museums and galleries in 2015. This was higher than most other cities in the world when compared against population size and geographical area and means that six of the top 10 visitor attractions in Scotland are in the capital.
Councillor Gavin Barrie, convener of the economy committee, said: “The facts in the latest edition of
Edinburgh by Numbers speak for themselves and show the city has much to be positive about this year. The document is an essential resource for anyone looking to invest in the city or simply looking for key facts and figures about the capital.
“The data is extremely encouraging and shows that the number of people educated to degree level has shot up since 2013. It also further strengthens our reputation as a knowledge-based economy, enhancing the attractiveness of Edinburgh for employers to locate or expand their business.
“The figures relating to the econ-omy are strong, with the number of jobs created by foreign direct investments continuing to perform better than other major UK cities. Our green credentials are also very good as we have almost half of all the green flag parks in Scotland and our recycling rates were higher than other major Scottish cities.
“It is great news that 4.1 million people visited Edinburgh’s top five museums and galleries in 2015 and this growing interest in culture in the city was reinforced this week as new figures showed that Edinburgh’s Festivals have a massive economic impact – £280 million locally and £313m in Scotland.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here