The gender employment gap, which measures the difference between the employment rates for men and women, decreased from 8.2 percentage points in 2009 to 6.3 percentage points last year.

Scotland’s Chief Statistician published statistics on Scotland’s Labour Market: People, Places and Regions 2019. This publication presents estimates sourced from the Annual Population Survey (APS) for a wide range of labour market indicators across local authority areas in Scotland for 2019.

The report found that since 2009 the unemployment rate, which measures those not in work but available for and actively seeking employment, has decreased in every local authority.

It also found that by sector, people aged 16 to 24 make up a relatively high proportion of the workforce in accommodation, food services, wholesale, retail and vehicle repairs, while those aged over 50 are more prevalent in agriculture, forestry, fishing, transport and storage.

The report also indicated that the disability employment gap, which is the difference between the employment rates of disabled people and non-disabled people, was 32.6 percentage points – a drop on a year before when it was 35.5 percentage points.

This information precedes any impact of policies related to COVID-19.