Labour Market Trends: May 2026
Trends in Labour Market indicators from HMRC PAYE RTI, Claimant count, and ONS Labour Force Survey data covering Scotland and the UK.
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Unemployment estimates
The estimated unemployment rate for people aged 16 years and over in Scotland was 4.4% in January to March 2026. This is 0.1 percentage points up compared to a year ago and 0.7 percentage points up over the quarter.
The estimated UK unemployment rate was 5.0% in January to March 2026. This is 0.5 percentage points up compared to a year ago but 0.2 percentage points down over the quarter.
Chart 8: The unemployment rate for Scotland was lower than the UK
Unemployment rates for persons aged 16 and over, Scotland and the UK, January to March 2019 to January to March 2026
Source: Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted, ONS
Chart 9: Scotland had the 2nd highest unemployment rate across the countries of the UK
Unemployment Rate and annual change for persons aged 16 and over, UK countries, January to March 2026 compared to January to March 2025.
Source: Labour Force Survey, ONS
Note: Annual change shown in percentage points
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