GLASGOW has created jobs faster than virtually any other city in Britain.

In the seven years to 2006, the number of people working in the city soared by 60,000 to 406,000.

A new report says: "Glasgow been one of the fastest growing cities in the UK."

It says the number of new jobs is likely to increase by another 23,000 by 2017, giving the city the fastest growth in Scotland.

Female employment will grow by 7%, the number of men in jobs by 4%, part-time work by 14% and full-time by just 1%.

An extra 16,000 jobs will be created in the financial and business services sectors, which will account for 29% of all jobs in the city.

The report adds: "The industries in which the city specialises have nearly all experienced job growth since the late 1990s.

"They include some of the city's biggest employers, such as financial and business services and the public sector."

By 2017, retail and catering and health and education will result in a further 11,000 new jobs.

However, the number of jobs in manufacturing is expected to plummet by 7000 - a fall of 28%.

But the report says: "Continued growth of those sectors that have expanded recently will add large numbers of jobs to the local economy, while any continued decline in the contracting industries will have a relatively small effect on the city."

In 2006, the city had 12,400 VAT-registered companies but the report adds: "If the city had the same businesses per head figure as the UK there would be 6000 more VAT-registered companies or about 50% more than are currently in existence."