Main Points

This report presents statistics for Scotland’s Devolved Employment Services: Fair Start Scotland. Fair Start Scotland (FSS) closed to new referrals on the 31st March 2024, however participants could still continue to achieve job outcomes after this date. This publication presents the final outcomes for those participants and is the final FSS publication. No further updates will be published for FSS. The following statistics provide updates to the employment outcomes of FSS participants up to July 2026.

• There were 104,208 referrals on Fair Start Scotland (FSS) between April 2018 up to March 2024.

• There were 70,513 starts to FSS since April 2018, including 6,999 re-joins which was possible from April 2021. As FSS closed to new referrals on the 31st March 2024, there are no new additional starts reported in this publication.

• Overall, there have been 26,892 job starts since FSS launched. For job starts where enough time has passed in pre-employment support and for outcomes to be achieved, 38% have entered employment, 28% have sustained employment for 3 months, 24% have sustained employment for 6 months and 19% have sustained employment for 12 months.

• Of the starts sustaining employment for 6 months, 79% went on to reach at least 12 months employment (13,213 of 16,728 job starts up to July 2024 – 12 months support plus 12 months job outcome).

• Of the 70,513 starts to FSS  since April 2018, 15,429 (22%, including 1,460 re-joins) were parents. Where enough time has passed in pre-employment support and for outcomes to be achieved there have been 5,979 job starts who are parents, since FSS launched.