Labour Market Statistics for 16 to 24 year olds: Scotland and the United Kingdom - January to December 2024

Unemployment

In January to December 2024, an estimated 35,400 people aged 16 to 24 were unemployed in Scotland. This is 1,500 more than the number of unemployed 16 to 24 year olds in 2023.

The estimated unemployment rate for 16 to 24 year olds was 10.4% in 2024. This was 0.5 percentage points (pp) higher than a year ago (9.9%) and 2.1 pp higher than in 2019 (8.3%). January to December 2019 is the last data point in the January to December series before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the United Kingdom, the estimated unemployment rate for 16 to 24 year olds was 12.1% in 2024. This was 1.7 pp higher than the year before (10.4%) and 0.8 pp higher than in 2019 (11.3%).

The change over the year for 16 to 24 year olds in the United Kingdom represents a statistically significant change. More details on statistical significance can be found in the Data and Methodology section.

Based on the current data quality rules and data confidence ratings we considered as part of our Quality Assessment of the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey data for Scotland:

• the unemployment estimates for 16 to 24 year olds for both Scotland and the United Kingdom remain robust
• However, we have limited confidence in the unemployment estimates for 16 to 24 year olds for Scotland indicating the estimates provide a restricted view on reality. They should be considered alongside other more reliable indicators and limitations must be understood before drawing conclusions or making decisions
• we have high confidence in the unemployment estimates for 16 to 24 year olds for the United Kingdom indicating the estimates can be used to draw accurate conclusions. There is substantial trust in the information presented, which is likely to provide a good reflection of reality

Chart 2: The unemployment rate for people aged 16 to 24 in Scotland had been broadly similar to the United Kingdom rate until 2016 when Scotland started seeing a consistently lower unemployment rate but in the last few years both rates have returned to being broadly similar

Unemployment rate estimates for people aged 16 to 24, Scotland and the United Kingdom, January to December 2004 through to January to December 2024

Source: Annual Population Survey, January to December datasets, ONS

Shaded areas represent 95 percent confidence intervals.