Scottish employment falls

Scotland’s employment rate has fallen by 0.2 percentage points, with the employment rate below the UK average at 74.8 per cent.

Scottish unemployment has also increased by 0.2 percentage points, bringing it in line with the UK average rate of 4.3 per cent.

Scotland’s jobless total rose by 5,000 between November and January to stand at 118,000, according to the Office for National Statistics.