Find Out How to Get a Job and Work in Glasgow

Employment in Glasgow

Jobs in Glasgow

The job market in Glasgow is highly competitive, with unemployment rates in the city slightly higher than the national average; although its employment rate is still above that of Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham, for example.

Glasgow’s excellent transport links and high population are seeing certain sectors enjoy growth. However, anyone moving into the area without already securing employment should be prepared to face tough competition and undertake rigorous hiring processes for most jobs in Glasgow.

One in four Glaswegians is employed in the public sector, however, Glasgow is continuing to diversify from its roots in public service and manufacturing. The service industry is flourishing, and now accounts for 28% of the city’s output. Today’s Glasgow also has a large financial services and business service sector.

With such competition for roles, anyone moving into the city to work will need to be able to demonstrate their skills to employers. For those who can do this, there are good job prospects as the city continues to grow and businesses continue to relocate there.

Local Economy in Glasgow

Despite a decline in the manufacturing sector, some major companies are still based in Glasgow, including British Polar Engines and the Weir Group. The growing influence of the financial sector has seen Glasgow become one of Europe’s 16 largest financial centers; this continues to attract blue chip financial companies to the city.

Glasgow is home to over 12,000 companies, providing more than 410,000 jobs in the city. As a result of its high visitor numbers, Glasgow is the largest retail center in Scotland. The city’s investment and development in some of its newer growth sectors, such as software development and biotechnology, have helped it become be part of the high tech sector of Scotland, known as Silicon Glen. Glasgow has the largest economy in Scotland, with a GDP of 41.6 billion pounds in 2013, although this is in big part thanks to its sheer size. Looking at the GDP per capita, it is easily outdone by big-league player London and less populated Edinburgh, as well as a number of other UK cities.

Work Permits for Glasgow

Permission to live and work in Glasgow is standardized alongside the United Kingdoms’s Immigration Policies. In general, a person must be able to provide evidence of their eligibility to take up employment before any employer will allow them to start work. Whether you are eligible to do so dependents on your status and your country of origin; corresponding evidence will be required when you start working in Glasgow. For UK citizens, this means their employers will simply ask to see their passport and make a copy. Expatriates hailing from EU or EEA member states (plus Switzerland), will have to provide their valid travel documents. Croatians additionally need a registration certificate.

Expatriates from other countries must provide evidence of work visas and/or travel documents. For a full guide to what documentation you will need to take up an offer of employment in Glasgow, take a look at the Home Office’s website on visas and immigration.