East Renfrewshire is one of Scotland’s smaller local authorities. Covering an area of approximately 174 square kilometres to the south west of the Glasgow City region it has a population of almost 90,000 people. Around half of the population are aged under 16 years or over 65 years.
Described as an area of contrasts, East Renfrewshire has a mix of suburban residential areas, old industrial towns, rural villages and extensive rural hinterland.
East Renfrewshire Council’s Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) and the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation both show some unusual demographic issues. East Renfrewshire has many affluent wards with headline figures that suggest the area is one of the least deprived in Scotland. However, this is contrasted with wards in the top 15% SMID data zones. The SOA identifies that 7.5% of the East Renfrewshire population are income deprived.
Traditionally a significantly higher proportion of East Renfrewshire residents are employed, many in management and professional occupations, than in Scotland as a whole and the level of self-employment is also very high. Median weekly earnings continue to increase and are currently 27% above the Scottish average. Given the demography of the area, the recession has had a disproportionate effect on the local economy. Overall, unemployment has increased by 82%, in particular, those claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) has increased by 141%; and youth unemployment (19-24 years) has increased by over 100%. The numbers employed in white collar employment (professional, associate professional and technical roles) reduced by 1200 people (8%).