Northern Ireland is on the up and it seems that residents across the province are beginning to get that feel-good factor. After a recent study showed people in Northern Ireland are the happiest in the UK, another report highlights the improvement in the quality of life there.
Belfast was ranked ahead of Manchester, Liverpool and London in a UK-wide survey of the best cities to live and work in. The PwC/Demos survey of 39 cities looked at economic performance and quality of life.
Criteria ranged from jobs, health, income, skills and work-life balance, to house prices, commuting times, inequality and pollution.
Belfast jumped to ninth overall; a massive improvement on last year’s 16th place and a clear sign of how the city is on the up.
“As the UK begins to experience real growth and recovery, policymakers and commentators fixate on quarterly GDP figures as the key indicator of economic health; however, analysis shows the public takes a wider and more personal view of the components of economic success,” the authors of the report explained.
It adds to a growing picture of Northern Ireland being one of the most dynamic and rewarding places to live anywhere in the UK. Purchasing managers index figures earlier this month showed that private sector employment in Northern Ireland is increasing at its fastest rate since August 2007.
Meanwhile, a recent study from the Office for National Statistics also revealed people there are happier than residents in Scotland, Wales and England.
One-third (33 per cent) of people in Northern Ireland rated their life satisfaction as nine out of 10, topping the table on this front as well.
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