Booming oil prices boost Aberdeen businesses

Aberdeen was the only major UK city to create more businesses than it lost as the UK emerged from recession in 2010, as the hydrocarbon capital of the North Sea benefited from the booming oil price, according to new research. The city created a net 80 new businesses in the year, representing 3.7 per 10,000 of the population, as scores of, often small, independent, companies flocked there to explore for and produce oil and to offer support services. On a per capita basis, Edinburgh was the next-best performer, losing 2.4 businesses per 10,000 of its population while London came 27th among Britain's 50 biggest cities, losing 9.6 companies per 10,000 people in 2010 – making a total of 7,535.