Scotland's Economy

Strong and inclusive labour market

August 13, 2019 by Jamie Hepburn MSP No Comments | Category Business, Employment

Commenting on the latest ONS labour market statistics update, which cover April 2019 to June 2019, Business Minister Jamie Hepburn said:

“These latest results show that Scotland is seeing the benefits of our Labour Market Strategy – driving inclusive and sustainable economic growth through delivering fair and good quality work across our society.

“Scotland’s employment rate rose over the year to 75.4% and remains close to the highest on record. The unemployment rate fell over the year to 3.6%, also close to the record low, and 0.2 percentage points lower than the UK’s (3.9%). Our unemployment rate has now been lower than the UK’s for 11 months in a row.

“Employment outcomes for women and young people continue to be better in Scotland than in the UK – with Scotland’s employment and unemployment rates for both women and those aged 16-24 outperforming the UK’s.

“However, while Scotland’s economy and jobs market remains strong and diverse, the UK Government’s EU exit plans – particularly the increasing likeliness of a ‘no deal’ Brexit – will cost jobs and make people poorer. Even with the best possible preparations, leaving the EU without a deal will hurt Scotland’s businesses, disrupt trade and impact on all aspects of society.

“The Scottish Government has consistently been clear that the best option for the future wellbeing and prosperity of Scotland, and the UK as a whole, is to stay in the European Union.”

Read the breakdown of the Scottish labour market statistics

Tags: labourmarketstatistics, scotlandseconomy

Comments