Jackson welcomes figures from the ONS showing that employment in East Renfrewshire has continued to rise. To celebrate this achievement by all residents and businesses in Eastwood Jackson has tabled the following motion officially recognising this success.
That the Parliament notes the recently released statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which show that in percentage terms, 75.5% of East Renfrewshire’s working population was employed over the last analytical year; notes that Eastwood makes up a large part of the broader East Renfrewshire local authority boundary; is aware that East Renfrewshire continues to have in-work rates above the national average, with 1,800 residents aged 16 or over out of work, 1.8% less than Scotland’s 5.7% during this time; believes that, although these statistics are positive, a mentality should never be allowed to develop that more cannot be done to assist those who need it most to get into and stay in a job; takes the view that being in employment is not merely about the wage with which it comes with but giving people a reason to get up in the morning and a network of colleagues beyond those they would normally meet; welcomes the commitment to further education evident in East Renfrewshire and Eastwood, with 3,700 students living in the region, 30.3%, compared to Scotland’s 24.8% national average, and commits to working with East Renfrewshire Council, The Scottish Government and other organisations to continue to improve the working lives of Eastwood residents.