Scotland's Economy

  • Mobile coverage must reflect far higher level of ambition

    18th March 2019 by

    Mobile coverage in Scotland will continue to lag behind the rest of the UK unless Ofcom sets more ambitious coverage targets, the Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust have warned. In a joint response to Ofcom’s consultation on the forthcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction, both organisations have urged the regulator to look at all options...

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  • Economy Secretary addresses Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce

    5th March 2019 by

    Last week, Economy Secretary Derek Mackay addressed the 2019 Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. Read his full speech below.

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  • Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2019: Skills for the Future

    3rd March 2019 by

    From Monday 4th to Friday 8th, employers, apprentices, and training providers across Scotland will come together for Scottish Apprenticeship Week to celebrate and showcase the contribution that work-based learning offers to individuals, employers and the economy. Now in its ninth year, Scottish Apprenticeship Week is an annual campaign co-ordinated by Skills Development Scotland which includes...

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  • This week: 01/03/19

    1st March 2019 by

    Fair Work Action Plan A range of measures to support employers to embed fairer working practices have been set out in a new Fair Work Action Plan. Business and Fair Work Minister Jamie Hepburn said the action plan includes a commitment to a new benchmarking tool to help employers assess their current practices and to...

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  • This week: 22/02/19

    22nd February 2019 by

    Economic Impact of ‘No Deal’ Brexit A ‘No Deal’ Brexit could have a dramatic impact on Scotland’s economy, with the potential for national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to fall by up to 7%, according to a new report by the Scottish Government’s Chief Economist. The paper, ‘No Deal’ Brexit – Economic Implications for Scotland, sets...

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  • Unemployment in Scotland falls to lowest ever rate on record

    19th February 2019 by

    Commenting on this month’s labour market statistics update, released by the ONS for October to December 2018, Business Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “Despite the huge and continued challenges of Brexit, the Scottish economy and jobs market continues to strengthen. “Scotland’s employment rate rose to 75.5%, close to the highest on record. The unemployment rate fell...

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  • Shaping the Scottish National Investment Bank

    11th February 2019 by

    Today we publish the analysis of responses to the public consultation on the Scottish National Investment Bank Bill which ran from September to October last year. This is the first of many milestones for the Bank in 2019 as we make significant progress towards the Bank being operational in 2020, investing in businesses and communities...

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  • Concrete from carrots – now that’s really clever!

    31st January 2019 by

    Low CO2 concrete, made with by-products of the carrot industry. Sustainable, nutritional salmon feed generated from by-products from the whisky industry. Just two unlikely examples of the innovative technologies powering Scotland’s burgeoning biotech industry. In a nutshell, turning environmental challenges into opportunities and delivering real results to help us meet our climate change targets. I’m...

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  • Scotland and Poland: European partners

    23rd January 2019 by

    Despite the uncertainty over Brexit, Scotland remains open for business and the EU remains our single largest market for international exports. During a recent trade show in Germany, an emerging consortia of Polish Energy majors and trade bodies expressed an interest in learning more about Scottish experience and expertise in planning, developing, and managing major...

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  • Unemployment below 100,000 for the first time on record

    22nd January 2019 by

    This month’s labour market statistics, released by the ONS for September to November 2018, show unemployment fell below 100,000 in Scotland for the first time on record. Business Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “Despite the huge and continued challenges of Brexit, the Scottish economy remains resilient and our jobs market is strengthening.    “Scotland’s unemployment rate reached...

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