More Scots Out Of Work

Unemployment in Scotland increased by 19,000, in the period January to March 2015, according to the latest official figures.

The Office For National Statistics data shows there are now 168,000 people out of work here - Scotland's jobless rate is higher than UK as a whole.

A total of 2,622,00 are in work, and there are 77,500 jobseeker's allowance claimants.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell says it is a "stark reminder of the difficult economic situation", while Fair Work Secretary Roseanna Cunningham says the Scottish Government is driving down youth unemployment.

In January to March 2015:

• Employment in Scotland fell by 3,000 over the quarter, and increased by 42,000 over the year, to stand at 2,622,000.
• The Scots employment rate increased over the quarter at 74.5 per cent. The rate is above the UK average of 73.5 per cent.
• Unemployment in Scotland increased by 19,000 over the quarter and fell by 11,000 over the year.  The level now stands at 168,000.
• At 6.0 per cent, the Scots unemployment rate is   above the rate of 5.5 per cent for the UK as a whole.
• Economic Activity increased by 16,000 over the quarter and now stands at 2,790,000. Also, the Economic Activity rate increased   over the quarter to stand at 79.3 per cent.
• In April 2015, the number of people out of work and claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) was 77,500.

David Mundell, Secretary of State for Scotland, said work must continue to "ensure our economic recovery works for everybody and every part of our country."

He said: “We have a track record of taking the difficult decisions needed to rebuild and rebalance the economy.  This has helped 185,000 more people in Scotland move into work over the past five years and has seen the number of people claiming benefit fall to its lowest level since 2008.

“Both the UK and Scottish Government agree job creation is absolutely crucial and I hope we can work together on this issue and many more in the months and years ahead for the benefit of people in our country."

But the Scottish Government says the figures are proof of its work to get more young people into work, claiming only five of the 28 EU Members States now have a lower youth unemployment rate than Scotland.

Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work Roseanna Cunningham welcomed the figures, which also show that female participation is at a record high of 76.6 per cent, an increase of 2.8 percentage points over the year, and that Scotland continues to outperform the UK on employment and economic inactivity rates.

Ms Cunningham said:

“From ensuring colleges are increasingly focused on employment outcomes and economic growth, guaranteeing 30,000 Modern Apprenticeship (MA) opportunities every year by 2020 and modernising our system of vocational training, we are doing everything possible to ensure our young people are work ready.

“Today’s figures also show that we are continuing to make excellent progress in creating a workforce that properly reflects our society with a record high in female labour market participation. A record high in economic activity is also hugely encouraging when compared to the rest of the UK.

“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. Unemployment has also fallen compared to the same time last year.

“Next week marks Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2015, and while such positive news on youth employment is very timely I want to encourage even more organisations to consider the business benefits of taking on more MAs.

“However, now that the Westminster landscape is clear, the time is also right to remind ourselves that Scotland still does not possess the key levers of job creation including powers over taxation and welfare. Nonetheless, with the powers at our disposal, we will continue to focus on making further progress.”