APPENDIX 4
POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD PROFILE
Summary
The following profile provides information on population and household trends for the
Inverclyde Council area and for Scotland as a whole for comparison purposes. The key
evidence set out in the following sections can be summarised as follows:








The population of Inverclyde has been in overall decline for quite some time and
this decrease is likely to continue over the period of the LHS and beyond.
General trends in the make up of the population mask significant variations in
migration patterns across the LHS sub areas reflecting wide differences in social
and economic circumstances.
In common with Scotland as a whole Inverclyde has a growing older population
however the proportion of older people will be significantly higher than the
national average in future years.
There are fewer children and young people in the Inverclyde population than the
regional and national averages and this will have an impact in future years as
there will be fewer people of working age contributing to local taxation
There are also fewer numbers of economically active people in the Inverclyde
population and this will also impact on the ability to pay for services in the future.
A general trend of out-migration of younger, economically active, people has
been noted and this trend must be reversed if services are to be maintained in
line with previously noted changes in demography.
Whilst the overall population of Inverclyde is declining, there are a growing
number of households forming, particularly single person households made up of
both older and younger people.
The combined effects of a growing older population and high household
formation rates have to be taken account of in future strategic planning for
housing of all tenures throughout Inverclyde.
Detailed information and supporting evidence is provided in sections 1.0 to 4.0 below.
1. Estimates of Population
1.1 Table 1 below provides an estimate of the Inverclyde population from the Glasgow
and the Clyde Valley (GCV) Housing Need and Demand Assessment 2011 (the
HNDA). Estimates from the assessment are only available at the HNDA sub area.
Table 1: Estimate of Population by HNDA Sub Area 2008
LA Sub Area
Inverclyde East
Inverclyde West
Kilmacolm and Quarriers Village
Inverclyde
2008 Estimate
Inverclyde %
49,169
26,428
5,183
80,780
60.9%
32.7%
6.4%
-
Source: Glasgow and Clyde Valley Housing Need and Demand Assessment 2011
1
1.2 Table 2 below provides estimates of population at a more local level of geography
with additional detail on the age of the population.
Table 2: Estimate of Population by Intermediate Geography 2010
Intermediate Geography
Population
Children (%)
Working
Age (%)
Pensionable Age (%)
Kilmacolm Central
Kilmacolm, Quarrier’s, Greenock Upper East/Central
Inverkip and Wemyss Bay
Port Glasgow Upper East
Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central
Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central
West Braeside, East Inverkip and West Gourock
Greenock East
Bow Farm, Barrs Cottage, Cowdenknowes & Overton
Greenock Upper Central
Greenock Town Centre and East Central
Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig
Lower Bow & Larkfield, Fancy Farm, Mallard Bowl
Greenock West and Central
Gourock Central, Upper East and IRH
Gourock Upper and West Central & Upper Larkfield
Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road
2,391
3,663
5,582
4,835
4,738
5,247
4,784
5,500
4,390
4,237
5,401
4,501
4,718
5,923
4,320
4,282
5,258
20.6
18.7
20.5
20.0
17.6
17.3
15.4
19.8
15.4
15.3
13.6
23.8
19.3
16.4
14.5
15.4
13.1
53.9
60.2
65.6
58.5
60.9
62.6
64.0
64.0
63.3
63.4
59.6
59.7
61.2
63.0
62.5
59.7
55.4
25.5
21.2
13.9
21.5
21.5
20.1
20.6
16.3
21.3
21.3
26.8
16.5
19.6
20.6
23.0
24.9
31.6
Inverclyde
79,770
17.3%
61.3%
21.4%
Glasgow and the Clyde Valley (2008 estimate)
1,755,310
17.9%
63.7%
18.4%
Source: National Records of Scotland, 2010
*Children population aged between 0 – 15, working age is population aged between 16 -64 and pensionable
age is population aged 65+
1.3 It will be seen from Tables 1 and 2 above that:

Inverclyde’s population has a slightly lower proportion of children than the GCV
Region and a higher proportion of the population aged over 65 than the GCV Region
as a whole. Consequently there is a lower proportion of the Inverclyde population in
the working age bracket than across the GCV Region.

There are pockets of population composition that do not conform to the local
authority norm. There are notably higher proportions of elderly people in the
intermediate geographies that contain Gourock and Kilmacolm and the area of
Greenock Town Centre and East Central. Inverkip and Wemyss Bay have a low
proportion of elderly residents and a higher than average proportion of the population
in the working age category.

The intermediate geographies that contain Kilmacolm have a higher than average
proportion of children, as do parts of Larkfield (South West Greenock) and Inverkip
and Wemyss Bay.
1.4 Figure 1 below illustrates the components of population change in Inverclyde and the
GCV Region from 2001 – 2008. Natural change refers to the difference between births
and deaths and net migration is the difference between out migration and in migration.
2
Figure 1: Annual Population Change 2001-2008 by Component
1.50%
0.99%
1.00%
0.63%
Annual % change
0.61%0.56%
0.50%
0.08%
0.04%
0.00%
% annual population change
-0.04%
% natural change
-0.50%
% annual net migration
-0.08% -0.25%
-0.21%
-0.32%
-0.38%
-0.57%
-1.00%
-1.03%
-1.23%
-1.50%
Inverclyde East
Inverclyde West
Kilmacolm and Quarriers Village
Inverclyde
GCV Region
Source: Glasgow and Clyde Valley Housing Need and Demand Assessment 2011
*Net migration in the chart refers to population moving in and out of the local authority area and not between
the sub areas

Overall, Inverclyde’s population has been declining at an average of -0.57% per year
from 2001-2008 whilst the GCV Region has been increasing at an average annual
rate of 0.04% per annum.

There are marked differences in annual population change within the local authority
area. The population in the Inverclyde West sub areas of West Greenock, Gourock
and Inverkip & Wemyss Bay have increased at a far higher rate than the whole of the
authority and the GCV Region. Migration from outside of the authority has been the
main driver of this annual increase and is the highest rate in the GCV Region (0.99%
per annum). There have been more deaths than births in Inverclyde West which has
resulted in a negative natural change which is perhaps a reflection of the older
demography in Gourock and West Greenock.

The sub areas of Inverclyde East (Port Glasgow, Greenock Central East and
Greenock South West) lost population at a quicker rate than any other part of the
GCV Region from 2001 - 20081. Migration is the main driver of this loss and the rate
of loss was the greatest in the GCV Region (-1.03% per annum).

A recent depopulation study2 commissioned by Inverclyde Council showed that the
population decline has been selective and has had a greater impact on young
people, young families, and people of working age.

The period from 2001 to 2008 was a time of relative economy stability and growth for
Scotland and the UK. However, the Inverclyde population still declined over that
1
2
Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Housing Need and Demand Assessment 2011
Inverclyde Depopulation Study, Draft Final Report, Slims 2011
3
period.

A changing population has implications for local service provision, for the local
economy, and the ability of Inverclyde to attract and retain investment. As the
population changes, there can be an oversupply of the wrong type of housing which
can create problems of low demand dwellings, problems of dereliction, property
prices being driven down, and a reduction in revenue can lead to less housing
investment. All of these factors create an environment in which it is difficult to attract
investment.
2.0 Estimates of Households
2.1 Estimates of households by tenure for the GCV HNDA for 2008 are as shown in
Table 3 below. However, the recent Private Sector House Condition Survey by David
Adamson and Partners (June 2011) provided up to date estimates showing that there
are 27,152 private sector households in 2011, which are made up of 23,544 owner
occupied households and 3,517 private rented sector households3. There has been
significant growth in the number of private rented sector households since 2008, which is
likely to be a result of the dual occurrence of first-time buyer households unable to
access owner occupation due to mortgage restrictions and home owners unable to sell
properties and offering them for private rent to generate income.
Table 3: Household Estimates by Sub Area 2008 and 2011
HNDA Sub Area
Inverclyde East (2008)
Inverclyde West (2008)
Kilmacolm & Quarriers Village
(2008)
Inverclyde 2008
Social
Rented
Sector
8,762
1,247
Owner
Occupied
Sector
13,746
9,175
Private
Rented
Sector
1,241
741
Households
71
2,082
121
2,274
10,050
25,003
2,103
37,156
23,544
3,517
Inverclyde 2011
23,749
11133
Source: Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Housing Need and Demand Assessment 2011 and Inverclyde
Private Sector House Condition Survey, David Adamson and Partners, 2011
2.2 Figure 2 below shows the composition of households in the social rented sector and
the owner occupied sector in 2009/10.
3
A further 91 households describe as other
4
Figure 2: Household Type in Inverclyde 2009/10
Owner Occupied Sector 2009/10
Social Rented Sector 2009/10
Single
pensioner
16%
Single
pensioner
17%
Single adult
12%
Single adult
31%
Older smaller
10%
Small adult
18%
Older smaller
16%
Large adult
12%
Large family
5%
Small family
11%
Single parent
2%
Small adult
7%
Large adult
15%
Single parent
8%
Large family
6%
Small family
14%
Private Rented Sector 2011
Elderly (2+ person)
4%
Elderly (1 person)
11%
Large Adult
3%
Single Person Non
Pensioner
30%
Large Family
2%
Small Family
17%
Single Parent Family
22%
Two Person Adult
Non Pensioner
11%
Source: Social Rented Sector and Owner Occupied information from the Scottish Household Survey
2009/10 and Private Rented Sector information from
Inverclyde Private Sector House Condition Survey, David Adamson and Partners, 2011
2.3 Figure 2 shows that:


There are a number of notable differences in household composition between the
three sectors. The social rented sector is dominated by single person households
(47% including single adult and single pensioner) and the private rented sector also
has a relatively high proportion of single adults at 41% of total households. By
contrast the figure for the owner occupied sector is 29% with only 12% of adults of
non-pensioner age in owner occupation. This may be an issue of affordability if there
is only one income in the household, i.e. many single households may not be able to
afford owner occupation.
There are a higher proportion of older households in the owner occupied sector
(33%) than in the social rented sector (26%). The local authority average is 28%.
5

Nearly a quarter of households in the social rented sector contain children (large
family, small family, and single parent) which is slightly higher than the owner
occupied sector however 41% of private rented sector households contain children
living in single parent families (22%). This is far higher than the 2009/10 Scottish
figure of 8% however, the difference in the dates of the sources should be noted and
since 2009/10 there has been a sharp increase in the numbers of households that
are renting privately.

In terms of comparison with national averages, Inverclyde (across all tenures) has
more single adult households in social renting (48% locally compared to 32%
nationally) and slightly more single pensioners in owner occupation than social
renting (66% locally compared to 62% nationally)4.
2.4 Table 4 below provides a breakdown of household types in the private sector by sub
area. Unfortunately, this level of detail is not available for the social rented sector.
Table 4: Household Type in the Private Sector (owner occupation and private
rented sector) 2011
Port
Glasgow
Greenock
Central East
Greenock
South West
Greenock
West
Gourock
Inverkip &
Wemyss
Bay
Kilmacolm &
Quarrier's
Village
Inverclyde
Single
Person
Single
Parent
Family
Two Person
Adult Non
Pensioner
Small
Family
Large
Family
Large
Adult
Elderly
(1
person)
Elderly
(2+
persons)
Total
Priv
Hlds
11.0%
5.2%
15.7%
27.8%
2.8%
1.1%
17.9%
18.4%
4709
12.4%
17.0%
8.0%
21.3%
3.5%
2.0%
19.2%
16.7%
4505
13.1%
7.2%
12.8%
26.5%
4.5%
3.0%
13.9%
19.0%
5814
15.7%
5.5%
13.2%
19.3%
3.1%
2.9%
20.7%
19.7%
3265
11.4%
3.9%
10.9%
18.5%
1.8%
3.5%
21.4%
28.5%
4602
12.5%
4.1%
17.9%
34.4%
3.7%
3.8%
11.8%
11.9%
2208
8.0%
4.6%
22.6%
23.9%
3.1%
2.0%
11.3%
24.4%
2049
12.2%
7.3%
13.4%
24.1%
3.2%
2.6%
17.2%
20.0%
27,152
Source: Inverclyde Private Sector House Condition Sector Main Report 2011, David Adamson
2.5 It will be seen from Table 4 above that:

There are variations in household type and size across the authority. In terms of the
Inverclyde West sub areas, Gourock has an exceptionally high proportion of older
person households (nearly 50%) which is in contrast to Inverkip and Wemyss Bay
where the households are more family-based with children. West Greenock has a
particularly high proportion of single person households, many of whom are elderly.

There are different patterns within the Inverclyde East sub area. Greenock Central
East has a relatively high proportion of single parent families and a slightly higher
than average proportion of single person households. Greenock South West tends to
4
Scottish Household Survey, Local Authority Analyses, 2009/10
6
have more family and elderly households.

Kilmacolm and Quarrier’s Village has a notably high proportion of two adult
households, both pensioner and non-pensioner.
2.6 Figure 5 and Table 5 below shows the age of household reference person and
highest income earner of households in Inverclyde, the GCV Region, and in Scotland.
7
Figure 5: Households by Age of Household Reference Person (HRP) 2008
GCV Region Households by Age of Households Reference Person
Inverclyde Households by age of Household Reference Person
75+
11%
16 to 29
10%
75+
13%
60 to 74
20%
30 to 44
25%
60 to 74
22%
16 to 29
13%
30 to 44
28%
45 to 59
28%
45 to 59
30%

In general, households in Inverclyde tend to be slightly older than households in the
GCV Region. In Inverclyde, there are a higher proportion of older person
households (aged 60 to 74 and 75+) and a lower proportion of younger households
aged between 16 to 29 and 30 to 44. This is likely to be the impact of the selective
population decline discussed earlier where people that are leaving the area are more
likely to be young and are in the main household formation age groups.
2.7 Table 5 below shows the age of households by tenure for Inverclyde and for
Scotland as a whole.
Table 5: Tenure of household by age of highest income householder 2009/10
Inverclyde
Households
16 to 24*
25 to 34
35 to 44
45 to 59
60 to 74
75 plus
All
Owner
occupied
49%
58%
62%
72%
62%
Social
rented
31%
32%
29%
26%
30%
Private
rented
20%
10%
7%
2%
8%
Scotland
Other
1
-
Owner
occupied
20%
49%
67%
73%
74%
68%
65%
Social
rented
28%
23%
22%
21%
21%
27%
22%
Private
rented
49%
26%
10%
5%
3%
3%
11%
Other
3%
2%
1%
1%
1%
3%
2%
Source: Scottish Household Survey 2009/10
*Sample size for 16 to 24 and 75 plus cohorts is too small for a reliable estimate

There tends to be more households in the social rented sector for all age cohorts in
Inverclyde than Scotland. Younger households have the same level of owner
occupation as the rest of Scotland but the level of owner occupation does not
increase in line with the Scottish level as the age of households’ increases. In the
age cohorts of 35 to 44 and 45 to 59, Inverclyde has around 10% less households in
owner occupation than the rest of Scotland. Reasons for this difference might include
8
lower levels of employability and worklessness (see Tables 8, 9 and 10 below) in this
age category.

For the age cohort 60 to 74, the level of owner occupation rises steeply and
Inverclyde is at a similar level to Scotland. Reasons for this steep increase may be
the impact of the historical RTB and older households having the ability to purchase
followed by a generation that has not had the work skills or the income to access
owner occupation. In the 45 to 59 age group, Inverclyde has a higher percentage of
households in private renting and social renting than the rest of Scotland. Again, this
may, in part, be a reflection of the socio-economic status of the households at this
age.
2.8 Figure 6 below illustrates the comparison between population and household change
over the period from 2001 – 2008.
Figure 6: Annual Population and Household Change 2001-2008
2.00%
1.76%
1.50%
Annual change
1.00%
0.78%
0.64%
0.61%0.56%
0.50%
0.04%
0.04%
0.00%
Annual Pop Change
-0.50%
Annual Hhld Change
Difference
-0.17%
-0.43%
-0.57%
-0.59%
-0.61%
-0.81%
-1.00%
-1.20%
-1.23%
-1.50%
Inverclyde East
Inverclyde West
Kilmacolm and Quarriers Village
Inverclyde
GCV Region
Source: Glasgow and Clyde Valley Housing Need and Demand Assessment 2011

The general trend to note from Figure 6 above is that although the population of
Inverclyde decreased between 2001 -2008, the number of households increased
during the same period. In comparison with the GCV Region, Inverclyde experienced
modest household growth between 2001 and 2008.

The sub areas within Inverclyde have experienced mixed fortunes with regard to
household growth. Kilmacolm and Quarrier’s Village recorded strong annual
household growth which was the second highest annual rate in the GCV Region5.
Inverclyde West has also experienced higher than average household growth from
2001 -2008. Household growth for both Kilmacolm and Quarrier’s Village and
Inverclyde West outperformed population growth.
5
Glasgow Central and West had an annual household change of 2.49% from 2001-2008
9

However, Inverclyde East goes against this positive trend as it experienced a decline
in household numbers from 2001 to 2008 which was one of the lowest rates in the
GCV Region6.

To summarise, Inverclyde’s population has continued to decline even when the
regional and national economy performed well from 2001 to 2008.

The increase in the number of households and the decrease in population suggest
that there has been a change in the size and type f households which may continue
into the future.
6
Glasgow North East had an annual household change of -0.63% from 2001-2008
10
3.0 Population and Household Projections
3.1 The GCV HNDA produced two sets of population and households projections based
on different economic assumptions which would affect net migration numbers for each
local authority. A lower migration scenario assumed that, after the initial five years or so,
the net migration will be constant, at a rate of -1,050 per year for the GCV Region, for
the remainder of the projection period up to 2025. A higher migration scenario assumed
a constant net migration of +1,050 per year for ten years, with a resumption of further
trend growth thereafter. The ten year delay before improvement in migration resumes
has been incorporated in the higher migration scenario in response to the economic
appraisal by Oxford Economics7, and is due to the economic downturn.
3.2 Figures 7 and 8 below illustrate the population and households projections for both
migration scenarios for Inverclyde and for the GCV Region.
Figure 7: Population Projection for Inverclyde and GCV Region 2008-2025
6.0%
% change from 2008
4.0%
3.8%
2.0%
1.5%
0.8%
0.0%
0
2008
-2.0%
2016
1.3%
2026
-3.2%
-3.7%
-4.0%
-6.0%
-6.5%
-8.0%
-8.3%
-10.0%
Inverclyde High M igration
Inverlcyde Low M igration
GCV Region High M igration
GCv Region Low M igration
Source: GCV Housing Need and Demand Assessment

The pattern of population decline is projected to continue for Inverclyde up to 2025,
which is in contrast to the projected pattern of the GCV Region population.

Both migration scenarios present a declining picture for Inverclyde. Reasons for
projected population decline are the same as before – more households are leaving
the area than coming into it and there are more deaths than births due to an older
demographic profile.

Problems associated with population decline have been discussed earlier but it is a
matter of continuing concern that other local authorities in the GCV Region have the
ability to attract population whilst Inverclyde continues to lose population.

A more detailed analysis of the projected population change is available later in this
profile.
7
Oxford Economics, Economic Outlook and Scenarios for the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City-Region 2009
11
3.3 Figure 8 below shows the projected household change for Inverclyde and the GCV
Region.
Figure 8: Household Projection for Inverclyde and GCV Region 2008 - 2025
Source: Glasgow and Clyde Valley Housing Need and Demand Assessment 2011

Despite the projected decrease in population, there is a projected increase in the
number of households in Inverclyde although the increase is relatively low in
comparison with the GCV Region as a whole.

For both Inverclyde and the GCV Region, there is a large difference between the rate
of projected household change and the rate of population change which would
suggest that there will be a change in the size of households.

Although the growth in the number of households is relatively positive for Inverclyde,
the difference between Inverclyde and the GCV Region is quite stark and along with
the population projections, it shows the difference in fortunes between Inverclyde
and the surrounding authorities.
3.4 Figure 9 below shows the projected change in household type for Inverclyde from
2008 to 2025. For ease of presentation, only the results for high migration have been
presented however the results for the lower migration scenario follow a similar pattern.
12
Figure 9: Projected Changes in Household Type (High Migration Scenario)
Source: Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Housing Need and Demand Assessment 2011

The difference between population and household projections would suggest there is
a changing household structure and size for Inverclyde. Overall, household size is
getting smaller, as shown in Figure 9 above. The proportion of single adult
households is projected to increase to 43.0% of all households at 2016 and by 2025,
46.9% of all households in Inverclyde are projected to be single adults. This
projected pattern is similar for all local authorities in the GCV Region.

Family-sized households in Inverclyde are projected to decrease from 25.8% of all
households in 2008 to 20.2% at 2025 of households which is slightly lower than the
GCV Region projection of 22.0% at 2025. The projected reduction in the number of
family-sized households will have implications both for the local economy in terms of
lower tax contributions, and for a range of services.
13
3.5 Figure 10 below shows projected changes in the age of the Household Reference
Person (i.e. the head of the household) over the period from 2008 to 2025.
Figure 10: Projected Changes in Age Household Reference Person (Planning
Scenario)
Source: Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Housing Need and Demand Assessment 2011

Although projected patterns of household structure are similar for Inverclyde and the
GCV Region, the projected pattern of age of households differs and some of the
general trends seen across the region are more pronounced in Inverclyde. The
projected number of older person households (60 to 74 and 75+) is higher for
Inverclyde and they will form 44.1% of all households in 2025 compared to 35.6% for
the whole of the GCV Region at 2025.

Younger person households are projected to decline to 9.6% of all households in
Inverclyde whilst the GCV Region projection figure is 11.3% at 2025.

This differential will present a number of issues for Inverclyde. A population that is
older is more likely to suffer from ill health or to have greater social care
requirements. The fall in the younger, working age households reduces the base of
people who can contribute to Council Tax to pay for services.

This change in age and the contrast with the GCV region suggests that the lower
population and migration of younger households and the subsequent effects on the
birth rate and household formation rates in Inverclyde is continuing to affect longterm changes in population and household structure.
14
3.6 Household projections by type and age are not available by local authority sub area
therefore the type of households leaving and migrating into the Inverclyde West and
Inverclyde East areas is unknown. Table 6 below provides an estimate of the total
number of households projected to be in each sub area as at 2016, 2020, and 2025.
Table 6: Household Projections by HNDA Sub Area (high migration scenario)
HNDA Sub Area
Inverclyde East
Inverclyde West
Kilmacolm & Quarriers Village
Inverclyde
GCV Total
2008
23,749
11,133
2,274
37,156
804,708
2016
24,190
11,340
2,316
37,846
859,147
2020
24,324
11,402
2,329
38,055
885,452
2025
24,436
11,455
2,340
38,231
918,408
Source: Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Housing Need and Demand Assessment 2011
15
4.0 Economic Profile of Population and Households
Household Income
4.1 Table 7 below shows the household income for Inverclyde and the HNDA sub areas.
As with other aspects of the household profile, there are marked differences across the
sub areas.
Table 7: Household Income for Inverclyde and HNDA sub areas
Area
Mean
Median Lower Quartile
Inverclyde East
£24,119 £19,334
£11,765
Inverclyde West
£38,431 £31,250
£21,000
Kilmacolm and Quarriers Village £50,235 £42,299
£24,285
Inverclyde
£30,971 £23,600
£13,571
Source: CACI 2009

The median household income for Scotland was £26,232 in 2009.

There are large differences between the median household incomes of the sub
areas. The household median income in Kilmacolm and Quarrier’s Village is almost
twice the household income in the Inverclyde East sub area.

Almost two thirds of Inverclyde’s households are in the Inverclyde East sub areas of
Port Glasgow, Greenock Central East, and Greenock South West and it has the
greatest impact on figure for the local authority as a whole.

The Inverclyde Private Sector House Condition Survey (2011) reported that the
median household income for the private rented sector is £15,080 per annum and for
the owner occupied sector it is £27,300 per annum.
Employment
4.2 The ‘employment rate’ of an area is simply the proportion of the working age
population that is in a job. It is a key labour market participation measure and one of the
indicators used to assess Scotland’s progress towards the targets set out in the Scottish
Government’s Economic Strategy. Table 8 below illustrates the relative rates for
Inverclyde and for the whole of Scotland.
Table 8: Employment Rate for Inverclyde and Scotland 2009
Age 16-64
Age 16 -24
Age 25-34
Age 35-49
Age 50-64
Inverclyde
66.7%
46.8%
80.6%
75.4%
61.5%
Scotland
71.9%
57.7%
79.5%
81.8%
64.6%
Source: Labour Force Survey via Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics, 2009
Inverclyde’s 2009 average employment rate of 71% is below both the Scottish and UK
averages of 75% and 74% respectively however it is a substantial improvement on the
level of 63% in 20038. Table 8 shows that the population aged 25-34 has the highest
8
Wealthier and Fairer Inverclyde, Slims Consulting 2010
16
employment rate and is the only age group that is higher than Scotland. All of other age
groups fall short of the Scottish average. Relatively low rates of employment, especially
in the younger age groups, would suggest that there is potentially a proportion of the
population that has little financial means to access housing privately and is thus reliant
on the affordable sector for accommodation, or they may be sharing accommodation
with family and friends.
4.3 Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) is a benefit available to those of working age that are
unemployed and seeking work. Table 9 below shows the 2010 claimant count rate of the
intermediate geographies of Inverclyde.
Table 9: Job Seeker Allowance Claimant Count by Intermediate Geography 2010
Intermediate Geography
Kilmacolm Central
Kilmacolm, Quarriers, Greenock Upper
East/Central
Inverkip and Wemyss Bay
Port Glasgow Upper East
Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central
Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central
West Braeside, East Inverkip and West Gourock
Greenock East
Bow Farm, Barrs Cottage, Cowdenknowes and
Overton
Greenock Upper Central
Greenock Town Centre and East Central
Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and
Ravenscraig
Lower Bow & Larkfield, Fancy Farm, Mallard
Bowl
Greenock West and Central
Gourock Central, Upper East and IRH
Gourock Upper and West Central & Upper
Larkfield
Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road
Inverclyde
Scotland
Claimant Count Rate9
1.5
2.5
1.8
7.6
8.4
5.0
2.9
6.5
3.9
8.0
8.0
8.5
7.3
3.7
3.8
3.5
1.5
5.1%
4.2%
Source: Labour Market Statistics, Scottish Government 2010
4.4 There has been a rapid increase in the number of JSA claimants across Inverclyde,
Scotland, and the UK over the past 18 months as a result of the recession. In August
2011 the working age population was 51,500 and the JSA Claimant count was 5.9% of
all working age people. This is an increase of 19.6% on the same time last year (501
people). There are large variations in the claimant count rates across Inverclyde. Areas
in Inverclyde West and Kilmacolm & Quarrier’s Village have a relatively low claimant
9
Count of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance. The level measures the number of claimants on the second Thursday of
each month (the "count date"). The latest provisional data will be added every month. The local area claimant count is not
seasonally adjusted. The denominator used to calculate local area claimant count rates for is resident population (aged
16-64).
17
count compared to the authority average and areas in Port Glasgow and in Greenock
Central East have significantly higher rates of unemployment.
4.5 Table 10 below shows that average resident wages are higher than average
workplace wages and the higher than average resident-to workplace ratio indicates that
residents from Inverclyde have high earning jobs outside of the authority area. The
average workplace wages in Inverclyde are significantly lower than both the GCV Region
and Scotland as a whole. This suggests that Inverclyde has more low skill, low paid
employment than neighbouring local authorities. However as the average resident wage
is higher than the workplace wage it may be the case that the resident population is
more skilled than the employment opportunities available locally.
Table 10: Average weekly earnings for Inverclyde and GCV Region 2009
Inverclyde
GCV area
Scotland
Average weekly
wage - residence
based 2009
£428.80
£457.30
£457.00
Average weekly
wage - workplace
based 2009
£388.50
£457.80
£455.50
resident/
workplace ratio
1.10
1.00
1.00
Source: Oxford Economics, Economic Outlook and Scenarios for the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City-Region
2009
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD)
4.6 Deprivation and regeneration are long-recognised priorities in Inverclyde. This has a
close relationship with housing in terms of neighbourhoods and tenure. The social sector
has increasingly come to house mainly households that are income-poor or otherwise
deprived, due to the impact of policies such as the Right to Buy. Spatial concentrations
of deprived households and people have become closely tied to spatial concentrations of
social housing. The Inverclyde Alliance produced a report on the results of the Scottish
Index of Multiple Deprivation 2009 for Inverclyde and the following key results were
highlighted:

Inverclyde has had increasing numbers of data zones in the 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%
that are most deprived, making it relatively worse off between 2004 and 2009. The
most deprived datazone in Inverclyde is Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central.

The data zones in the 5% most deprived bracket contain the highest concentration of
multiple deprivation and Inverclyde has the second highest local share with 15.5% of
it’s datazones in the 5% most deprived data zones.

Inverclyde has the second highest local share with 39% of its data zones in the15%
most deprived in Scotland. Glasgow City has the highest proportion at 43.1%.

Around 45% of data zones in Inverclyde are ranked in Scotland’s 20% most deprived
data zones in the SIMD 2009. Inverclyde has seen an increase in the proportion of
its data zones in the 10% most deprived and a decrease in data zones in the 10-20%
most deprived over the three versions of the SIMD.

The five local authorities with the largest proportion of data zones in the 15% most
deprived are Glasgow City, Inverclyde, Dundee City, West Dunbartonshire, and
18
North Ayrshire.

On the income domain in SIMD 2009, 39 (35.5%) of Inverclyde’s 110 data zones
were found in the 15% most deprived data zones in Scotland, compared to 40
(36.4%) in 2006 and 31 (28.2%) in 2004.

The most deprived data zone in terms of income domain in Inverclyde is Greenock
East.

In the employment domain, 42 (38.2%) of Inverclyde’s 110 data zones were found in
the 15% most deprived data zones in Scotland, compared to 46 (41.8%) in 2006 and
37 (33.6%) in 2004.

The most deprived data zone on the SIMD 2009 employment domain in Inverclyde is
Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central.

Inverclyde has the second highest percentage of employment deprived people, but
there has been a decrease between SIMD 2006 and SIMD 2009. This fall means
other areas will see an increase in levels of deprived data zones.
19