Medium to high skill sector holding up Scottish jobs growth - RBS
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The medium to high skill jobs sector is supporting Scottish jobs growth, according to the latest Royal Bank of Scotland Regional Economic Tracker.
Figures reveal that general employment climbed by 0.7 per cent across the country during 2015, with professionals and trade roles offsetting a decline amongst general posts such as retail and contact centre work.
According to the report, medium and high skill growth climbed by 1.7 per cent in the 12 months to 2015.
This compares to a drop of two per cent across the low skills sector.
The tracker – compiled by the Royal Bank of Scotland’s economics team using Office for National Statistics data - also reveals marked differences across Scotland.
Of the big cities, Edinburgh has the largest proportion of high skilled roles, supporting 131,200 positions, over half the workforce.
But Glasgow and Aberdeen are close behind with 45 per cent of their residents in high skill occupations.
Glasgow accommodates more low skill level posts than any other area of the country, with 65,100 positions.
However per head of workforce Dundee had the greatest proportion of low skilled jobs in Scotland last year.
The Regional Economic Tracker found there were 22,600 such posts in the city last year, representing 35.7 per cent of the workforce.
Fife was in 13th place at 27.6 per cent of its workforce (47,800), Angus 18th at 25.7 per cent (14,100) and Perth and Kinross 21st at 24.6 per cent (18,300).
For high skilled jobs, Angus was 12th highest of the 32 Scottish local authorities with 41.8 per cent of its workforce (22,900 jobs) in that category last year.
Perth and Kinross was 15th with 41.1 per cent (30,600 jobs); Fife was 19th with 38.5 per cent (66,800 jobs) and Dundee was 27th with 33.2 per cent (21,000 jobs).
Despite the difference in growth between the jobs sector, both are being affected by the same thing, according to the bank’s economic team, which found technology creating more roles within the medium to high sector while simultaneously imposing a drop-off in low level skills as it replaces the need for manpower.
Commenting on the figures, Sebastian Burnside of the bank’s economics team, said: “These figures demonstrate the impact of technology on Scotland’s labour market.
“Firms are automating tasks and often replacing lower skilled occupations, something that’s clear to see in retail as the number of check-out staff fall. But technology also creates opportunities too and we’re seeing growth where data is helping generally higher skilled workers take better decisions and be more efficient.”
Scottish Jobs Breakdown based on RBS Regional Economic Tracker:
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