17,000 more Scots in jobs over the quarter as Scottish employment continues to rise

This month’s Labour Market Statistics also show that over the quarter, Scotland’s overall employment rate increased to 74.5 per cent with around 2,631,000 Scots now in employment.

This performance outsrips the UK average of 74.1 per cent.

However, Scotland’s unemployment rate rose by 0.5 percentage points over the quarter to reach 6.1 per cent and the unemployment level rose by 16,000 over the quarter to 171,000.

The jobless rate north of the border is now 6.1 per cent, compared with 5.1 per cent for the UK as a whole.

UK unemployment fell by 28,000 over the same period to 1.68 million.

Scotland’s youth employment level increased by 15,000 over the year to reach its highest November to January level since 2009.

Labour market inactivity – those not in work or not actively seeking work – fell by 21,000 over the quarter to 701,000 and by 0.6 percentage points over the same period to 20.5 per cent, the lowest jointly-held rate on record.

Cabinet Secretary for fair work, skills and training, Roseanna Cunningham, said: “Scottish employment continues to rise and I am very pleased to see that we are outperforming the UK on both employment and inactivity. Youth employment has also been one of our success stories in recent months, and today’s figures are further evidence of strong performance.

“However, we are still seeing evidence of ongoing volatility in Scotland’s labour market despite the positive longer term trends. The low price of oil and its wider effects remain one of a number of significant challenges affecting employment opportunities and the latest statistics on unemployment demonstrate that there can be absolutely no let-up in our efforts.

“Our employment figures are excellent and show that our work to support people into jobs continues to bear fruit, but we want everyone to be able to maximise their potential by providing sustainable employment.

“Despite the wider global economic conditions, we remain resilient and will use every power at our disposal to remove unnecessary barriers to the jobs market. This will include improved employability services from 2017, which I hope to be able to say more about in the coming days.”

Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, said: “The increase in Scottish employment of 17,000 and a record high in economic activity is welcome news. That means 17,000 more people in jobs, able to improve their quality of life, support their families and contribute to the economy.

“However, these figures are also a reminder of the challenges facing Scotland’s economy, in particular in the oil and gas industry. It is vital that Scotland’s two governments work together to do everything possible to boost the Scottish economy. Earlier this year we announced a significant package of support for the oil and gas industry and the wider North East economy - this is an excellent example of what can be achieved.

“The Chancellor will be setting out later today how the UK Government will continue to support economic growth right across the country.”