TEN years ago it would have been unthinkable; now it is entirely understandable. According to a new report, the majority of students and young professionals in Aberdeen are considering leaving the city within the next few years. Concerned about the economic health and potential of the oil capital, two-thirds of Aberdonians aged between 16 and 35 told the accountancy firm PwC Scotland that they believed their best chances might lie elsewhere. They wanted to stay, but felt they might have to go.

No one knows how many of those young professionals will end up staying or going, but the fact that many are considering their options is a blow for the city. Before the drop in oil prices, Aberdeen was the stand-out economic performer in Scotland, the economy was buoyant, unemployment was low and even the recession of 2008/09 seemed to leave the city relatively untouched. But in recent months there have been clear signs of trouble: air passenger numbers and hotel occupancy down, many more people claiming benefits, house prices suffering, and now 16 to 35-year-olds thinking about going elsewhere.

As Jenny Laing, the leader of Aberdeen City Council, says, the answer lies in two areas, the first of which is maximising the recovery in the oil and gas industry. The picture is not entirely bleak thanks to decommissioning, which offers some economic opportunities; small firms are also helping to drive some expansion and investment. But bigger firms could catch up by working much more closely together; the UK Government should also look again at more tax cuts and financial incentives.

The second area of potential recovery is diversification. A city economy based on one industry will always be vulnerable to downturns in that industry, but, supported by much more investment from the Scottish Government, more firms could diversify into renewables for example as a potential source of income for the area in the future. There are clearly other issues to address in Aberdeen’s recovery – investment in improving Union Street for example – but PwC’s survey of young professionals should act as a spur to local and national government to do much more. The city’s young professionals want to stay - they just have to be given the reasons to do so.