Unemployment in Scotland falls slightly

Unemployment in Scotland fell slightly in the last quarter, latest figures show.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over was 3.8% between September and November last year.

This was a 0.2% drop on the previous quarter and below the UK wide rate of 4.4%.

There were 105,000 people aged 16 and over out of work in Scotland between September and November last year, according to the figures.

The employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 was 74.1%, up 1% on the previous quarter.

The figures show that 2,625,000 people aged 16 and over in Scotland were in employment during that period.

The Scottish Government said HMRC’s early estimates show there were 2.45 million payrolled employees in Scotland in December 2024, 8,000 less than the number of such employees in the previous month and 11,000 lower compared with December 2023.

Deputy First Minister and Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “These figures show that our labour market is proving resilient despite a challenging economic environment.

“It’s encouraging to see payrolled employment remains close to record levels and Scotland has higher median monthly pay than the UK.

“The First Minister will tomorrow (Wednesday) outline his priorities for Scotland’s economy, including closer relations with the EU and the need for the UK Government to introduce a migration policy tailored to Scotland’s distinct needs and bolster our working-age population.

“The Scottish Government is also committed to getting more people into work, which is why our draft Budget was developed in partnership with businesses and includes £90 million for employability services.”

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: “Our Plan for Change is creating jobs and opportunities to ensure that everyone across the UK has access to well-paid work. That’s how we will make lasting improvements in our decade of renewal and growth.

“We’re already making great strides – introducing huge advances in workers’ rights and our National Living Wage boost will see an increase of £1,400 a year from April for hundreds of thousands of full-time workers in Scotland.

“We’re continuing to work closely with the Scottish Government to address Scotland’s inactivity rate through our plan to Get Britain Working.

“As part of this, Jobcentres across the UK are going through their biggest overhaul in a generation so that those looking for work get the help they really need.

“By encouraging investment to deliver growth, we will put more money in people’s pockets and raise living standards right across the UK.”