Concern that Causeway Coast and Glens Council scores close to last in terms of productivity, employment and wages
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough councillors say it is “concerning” the borough is ranked close to last in productivity, employment and median wages compared with other Councils.
At November’s Leisure and Development Committee meeting members were given an update on the progress and timelines for the implementation of the Department for Economy’s [DoE] Sub-regional Economic Plan, published in October.
According to the officers’ report, the Plan’s aim is for local communities to be “empowered to identify their own economic priorities through local
partnerships working together to identify the main barriers to economic development, and the interventions that will unlock the area’s potential”.
One section within the Plan, entitled ‘Recognising Imbalance’, highlighted a number of economic disparities among Northern Ireland’s eleven local councils and noted the rate of employees in secure employment in Causeway Coast and Glens is five percent lower than the Mid and East Antrim area.
A table of councils’ overall performance ranked the Borough of Causeway Coast and Glens as second-to-last for median wages, and ninth out of eleven for labour productivity and employment rate.
Sinn Féin Councillor Cara McShane said the figures were “quite alarming” and none were “very positive for Causeway of Coast and Glens overall”.
“We don’t score very highly, so I just think it’s quite concerning,” Councillor McShane added.
“Further on their correspondence [DoE say] we’re going to be dealing with the fallout of Brexit and potential additional costs for tourism to come to the North.
“Tourism is one of our biggest industries that so many people rely on to keep them going throughout the year, so I don’t think it looks too positive.”
Ulster Unionist Party Councillor Richard Holmes, who chaired the Leisure and Development Committee meeting, said the Borough has had one of the lowest median wages since the council began, and was “something that comes up most years” from DoE.
He added: “Mid Ulster has an amazing manufacturing base and we’re relying on seasonal work here so much, and that takes it down. Unless we’re getting a manufacturing base into this area we’re not going to see those numbers rise, sadly.”