INVERCLYDE'S MSP says he will ask the First Minister to come to the area for talks over recent job losses in the area.
Stuart McMillan says he plans to make the request to John Swinney, either in writing or in person in the Holyrood chamber, following the news that healthcare insurance firm Cigna is set to implement major job cuts in Inverclyde - the latest in a series of jobs blows to have hit the area in recent years.
Mr McMillan's comments come after leading anti-poverty group Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Fraser of Allander Institute revealed Inverclyde has around ten job listings for every one person seeking work.
The Scottish average, based on the latest available figures from 2024, showed around four people wanted to work for every advertised job vacancy in the area.
Mr McMillan says that even though Inverclyde has ‘nowhere near’ the worst job posting to seeker ratio, ‘we can and must do more.’
He said: “The findings from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation make it clear that, if we want to lift children out of poverty, we must create good jobs and build a childcare system that allows parents to work.
“The job losses the area has seen over the last five years would be difficult for any area to absorb, never mind an area of our size.
“While the Scottish Government cannot rectify every issue locally and nationally, it can help.”
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Inverclyde has lost more than 1,500 jobs in recent years at firms including Cigna, Amazon, Berry BPI, IBM, Kyndryl, Webhelp and BT/EE.
The meeting will focus on finding solutions to create new job opportunities, as well as ensuring the conditions are right so more ‘local businesses stay local and thrive.’
While on the surface the figures appear to be positive for jobseekers compared to the likes of Dundee, which had 35 people per vacancy, the report highlighted that there are further issues.
These include jobs not paying enough or not fitting around people’s lives.
East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, and the Borders had the same rate as Inverclyde, while Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen had three.
Mr McMillan said the SNP has a ‘mission’ to lift children out of poverty, and one of the key ways to do this is to ensure the economic conditions are right, so that people can work and earn good wages.
He added: “Earlier this week, the First Minister announced that the SNP Scottish Government will extend childcare support to every child from nine months old to the end of primary school by the end of this Parliament.
“The brand-new system will fit around families, rather than expecting families to fit around the system, with childcare provided beyond school term time, including throughout the summer holidays, 52 weeks a year.
“Further, our game-changing Scottish Child Payment is supporting 321,885 children as of March 2026.
"This Scotland-only benefit is a weekly payment of £28.20, paid every four weeks to every eligible child under 16 within a household.”
He said the scheme is expected to keep 50,000 children out of relative poverty in 2026–27.
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