Access to good quality jobs is one of the defining social, economic and political challenges of our times. Many of the political upheavals we are seeing are directly related to people\u2019s fears that there won\u2019t be opportunities for them in the workplace.<\/p>\n
The recent fair work debate<\/a> in the Scottish Parliament showed the majority of MSPs are progressive in their thinking about what work should be about in Scotland in the 21st century. While there may be different views on how it might be achieved, we agree that fair work is central to our country\u2019s ambitions for economic success which is shared across our society.<\/p>\n We cannot build a future based on a race to the bottom in terms of how workers are treated. Our businesses and key sectors cannot capitalise on their competitive advantages without a workforce which has a stake in success. And we will miss huge opportunities if we do not harness the talents of our entire working age population, irrespective of gender, age, race or any other characteristic.<\/p>\n Scotland\u2019s economy continues to show strength and we are seeing high employment and low unemployment figures. However, for many people in Scotland, their experience of work is not always positive and having a job does not mean escaping poverty.<\/p>\n The latest labour market statistics show there are 81,000 more people in employment in Scotland compared to the pre-recession peak pic.twitter.com\/0CWcjmYAya<\/a><\/p>\n — Scottish Government Finance and Economy (@scotgoveconomy) April 17, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n