Scottish unemployment rises by 19,000

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics show an unemployment rate of 6 per cent north of the border, compared with 5.5 per cent for the whole of the UK.

Meanwhile, employment in Scotland fell by 3,000 over the three months, and now stands at 2,622,000 and the number of Scots claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance fell by 1,100 to 77,500 between March and April - 25,300 lower than a year ago.

ONS figures also released today show UK unemployment fell by 35,000 between January and March.

The number of people now unemployed in the UK now stands at 1.83 million, the ONS said.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell said: “Today’s figures are a stark reminder of the difficult economic situation we have come through and the work which remains to ensure our economic recovery works for everybody and every part of our country.”

The Scottish government’s Fair Work Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “While there has been a slight increase in unemployment this quarter, this will be accounted for in part by falling levels of economic inactivity, which is at an all-time low, as people join the labour market and start looking for work.”

Andy Willox, the Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) Scottish policy convenor, added: “Scotland’s small and medium sized businesses already sustain more than a million jobs. If we’re to dent these stubborn unemployment figures, Scotland’s decision makers will need to further tap the potential of this vital resource.

“These lukewarm national figures also mask a story of uneven recovery. While the future looks bright in some localities, others aren’t so fortunate. We need new strategies to turn around these communities, and their local enterprises need to be at the centre of these plans.”