Unemployment rate up to 4.2 per cent

The employment rate decreased slightly to 74.2%, with 2.4 million payrolled employees in Scotland – 50,000 fewer than in February 2020, pre-Covid.

However, Employment and Fair Work Minister Richard Lochhead said the figures “reflect some of the challenges faced in Scotland’s labour market to date but they do not reflect the full impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) or the outlook for employment, as the Job Retention Scheme continues to help support jobs”.

He added: “It is crucial the UK Government keep this scheme in place for as long as it is needed. The Scottish Government will continue to do everything we can to support employers and employees to recover and re-open at this time of exceptional disruption to our society, economy and labour market.”