Residents in Dunfermline have highest average earnings in Fife

The figures which were outlined to members of the City of Dunfermline area committee show the average resident earnings to be £709.10 per week and the average workplace earnings of £662.20.

Worked out in parliamentary constituency areas, it is the only part of Fife where the resident average earnings are higher than the Scottish average earnings of £702.40.

In Dunfermline, the average employment rate was 78.8 per cent which is the second highest in the Kingdom although it is lower than the area's pre-pandemic figure of 82.1 per cent.

The number of men in employment is 83 per cent while the number of women in employment is 73.8 per cent.

READ MORE: Here's why Dunfermline has been named the UK's best city

The proportion of the working-age population – those aged between 16 and 64 – claiming out-of-work benefits in Dunfermline in 2023 is 2.8 per cent which is less than the overall Fife figure of 3.4 per cent.

In 2023, the 16-24 year old age group had the highest rate of people claiming out-of-work benefits in the area – a total of four per cent – although the percentage of 16-19 year olds participating in education, training or employment in the Dunfermline area (94.5%) was the second highest in Fife.

Between March 2020 and March 2023, the number of registered businesses in the Dunfermline Scottish Parliamentary Constituency Area fell by 155 enterprises – a total of 7.7 per cent.

In Fife overall, the number of enterprises fell by 9.3 per cent over the same period which the area's business density – there are 288 registered businesses per 10,000 resident adults - being below the Scottish business density figure of 375 businesses per 10,000 resident adults.

The report for councillors explained that to reach the Scottish business density, the area would need 563 – 30 per cent – more businesses.

Since 2019, the proportion of vacant retail and service units in the city centre has gone up from 19.2 per cent to 20.8 per cent.

The estimated number of jobs in the Dunfermline committee area went up by 6.9 per cent from 29,000 to 31,000 in the three-year period between September 2019 and September 2022.

Dunfermline accounts for 75 per cent of Fife’s employment in Financial and Insurance Activities (2,250 jobs), 62 per cent of jobs in Information and Communication (2,500 jobs) and 50 per cent of Fife’s employment in Transportation and Storage (3,500 jobs).

In 2022/23 there were 301 participants from Dunfermline on employability programmes commissioned by Opportunities Fife and there are currently 146 people working with Fife Council’s employability services in the Dunfermline committee area.

Councillor James Calder (Image: Fife Council)

City of Dunfermline area committee convener, Councillor James Calder, said there were positives for the city as well as a number of challenges too.

He added: “Earlier this year, Dunfermline was ranked the UK’s best city to live and work in and this economic report backs up how well Dunfermline’s doing.

“We’re investing millions into Dunfermline making sure there are opportunities for everyone in the area to thrive and reach their full potential.

“This success isn’t solely down to the Council, we’ve a strong community of businesses, organisations and community groups all pulling together to make Dunfermline a city we can be proud of.”