Increase in employment levels

Employment in Scotland rose by 51,000 over the last quarter - the largest quarterly rise on record - illustrating the underlying resilience of the economy, according to the latest ONS Statistics figures published today.

Labour Market Statistics for April to June 2016 shows that Scotland’s labour market continues to strengthen:

• Scotland has the second highest employment rate out of the four UK nations, with 65,000 more people in employment compared to the pre-recession high.

• The ILO unemployment rate fell by 1.0 percentage points over the quarter with the unemployment level falling by 26,000.

• Scotland continues to outperform the rest of the UK on female employment and unemployment rates.

Furthermore, Scotland outperforms the rest of the UK on youth employment and unemployment rates.

Commenting on the statistics while visiting CMS Window Systems Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Employability and Training said:

“There is much to be welcomed from these figures, including 65,000 more people being employed now than at the pre-recession high. However, we know that there is more that we can and must do. The Scottish economy has strong fundamentals, but as businesses face uncertainty during negotiations over our future relationship with the EU, we will ensure we work hard to protect Scotland’s relationship with the EU, and strive to make the most of current and future opportunities in our economy.

“The additional £100 million stimulus package announced by the First Minister is designed to help and support new and existing jobs and alleviate business concerns at this difficult time.

“The figures we see published today once again demonstrate Scotland is outperforming the rest of the UK in terms of youth employment. We are determined to do even more and our ambition is to reduce youth unemployment by 40 per cent between 2014 and 2021 through the implementation of Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy – Developing the Young Workforce.

“I am also very pleased that the female employment rate has risen over the quarter. This is a testament to the work we have been doing to ensure women have the same equality of opportunities in the labour market as their male counterparts.

“Scotland is home to a thriving and innovative business sector and I’m delighted to visit CMS Window Systems today, which is a fantastic example of some of the great work that is happening throughout the country, with Scottish companies employing young people, innovating in their products and processes, and competing effectively in export markets across the World.”