Changes to Labour Market Statistics in Scotland: What You Need to Know
The Scottish Government outline their decision to end funding for the ONS local Labour Force Survey boost for Scotland and what this means for the future of labour market statistics in Scotland.
Part of
3 Next Steps for Labour Market Statistics in Scotland
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring continued access to high-quality labour market statistics for users and stakeholders. We will continue to monitor the quality of data from the ONS LFS and APS, applying our own quality rules and confidence ratings to assess suitability for publication.
Reliable labour market statistics are essential for understanding the Scottish economy and informing evidence-based policy making. To strengthen the data landscape, we are actively exploring a range of alternative data sources and suppliers. This includes both public and private sector data, as well as innovative approaches to using existing administrative data.
One such initiative is a feasibility study to explore the potential of using administrative financial data to infer employment status and labour market trends. This work will begin later in 2025 and forms part of a broader transformation in how labour market statistics are produced in Scotland. Alongside this, we are reviewing other administrative datasets already held by the Scottish Government and evaluating additional sources that may offer valuable labour market insights.
To ensure our future statistical outputs meet user needs, we will host a series of stakeholder engagement sessions throughout the coming year. These sessions, scheduled for November 2025, February, May, and August 2026, will provide opportunities for internal and external stakeholders to share their views on the labour market statistics that matter most to them.
This work complements the ongoing efforts of the ONS to transform the Labour Force Survey (TLFS). The TLFS is a redesigned survey focused on online data collection and targeted follow-up, with a planned launch in late 2026. The Scottish Government continues to collaborate closely with ONS as a key stakeholder in the development of the TLFS and remains committed to supporting its implementation.
Together, these efforts will help ensure that Scotland continues to benefit from meaningful, reliable labour market data that supports informed decision-making and effective policy development
Contact
For enquiries about this publication please contact:
Labour Market Statistics,
Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
E-mail: LMStats@gov.scot
For general enquiries about Scottish Government statistics please contact:
Office of the Chief Statistician
E-mail: statistics.enquiries@gov.scot