Editing Hawick (section)

== Economy ==
The companies William Lockie, [[Hawico]], Hawick Knitwear, [[Johnstons of Elgin]], [[Lyle & Scott]], Peter Scott, [[Pringle of Scotland]], and Scott and Charters, have had and in many cases still have manufacturing plants in Hawick, producing luxury [[cashmere wool|cashmere]] and [[merino]] wool [[knitwear]]. Engineering firm Turnbull and Scott had their headquarters in an [[Elizabethan style|Elizabethan-style]] [[listed building]] on Commercial Road before moving to [[Burnfoot, Hawick|Burnfoot]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=16–20 Commercial Road |url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/sc-50816-16-20-even-numbers-commercial-road-turnbu |publisher=British Listed Buildings}}</ref>

In recent times, unemployment has been an issue in Hawick.  The rate of unemployment exceeded the average for the  Scottish Borders between 2014 and 2017.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Hawick and Denholm – Overview of Population, Deprivation, Unemployment and Schools |publisher=Scottish Borders Council – Corporate Business Management Service |year=2017 |pages=3}}</ref> The closure of once-significant employers, including mills like Peter Scott's<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 July 2016 |title=Scottish knitwear producer Peter Scott to close |url=https://www.knittingindustry.com/scottish-knitwear-producer-peter-scott-to-close/}}</ref> and Pringle's<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2008 |title=Jobs blow as Pringle decides to shut Scottish knitwear plant |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/jobs-blow-as-pringle-decides-to-shut-scottish-knitwear-plant-1-1078273}}</ref> have reduced the number of jobs in the town.  The population has declined partly because of this; at 13,730 in 2016, it was at its lowest since the 1800s. Despite efforts to improve the economic situation, unemployment and poverty remain relatively high, with the number of children living in poverty in the town one-tenth higher than the average for the Borders region in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-31 |title=Nearly one in three Hawick kids live in poverty |url=https://planetradio.co.uk/borders/local/news/nearly-one-three-hawick-kids-live-poverty/ }}</ref> Developments such as a new business centre, which opened in 2024,<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 April 2024 |title=Hawick Business Centre prepares to open with drop-in day |url=https://www.southofscotlandenterprise.com/news/hawickbusinesscentre }}</ref> an [[Aldi]] supermarket,<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 April 2018 |title=Wait for Hawick's new superstore is over |url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/wait-for-hawick-s-new-superstore-is-over-1-4727118}}</ref> and distillery,<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 May 2018 |title=Borders Distillery opens to the public in Hawick |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-43948975}}</ref> which opened in 2018–19, have benefitted Hawick. Despite this, continued business closures, for example that of [[Homebase]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 August 2018 |title=Jobs to go as Hawick's Homebase store set to close |url=https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/jobs-to-go-as-hawick-s-homebase-store-set-to-close-1-4784070}}</ref> and the Original Factory Store in 2018, suggest continued economic decline for the town.