Executive Summary: Who No One Left Behind Supports and What the Outcomes Show

• Between April 2019 to March 2026, 111,300 people started receiving support through Scotland’s No One Left Behind (NOLB) approach. Participation increased steadily from 2,655 participants in 2019/20 to 24,253 in 2025/26. The most recent quarter (January - March 2026) saw 6,022 new starts, a 19% increase on the previous quarter and 5% lower than the same quarter the year before. There is evidence demand or capacity may be levelling off.

• Around one‑third of participants entered employment (32%, 35,437 people), after an average of 166 days of support. Employment is the most common positive outcome, but not the only one, with over 86,000 positive outcomes recorded overall. Of those reaching the 52‑week follow‑up, at least 37% remained in employment, indicating that outcomes are not solely short‑term job entries.

• Data on the complete breakdown of employment follow-up status is reported in this publication for the first time. Of the 52 week follow-up checks due between October 2025 and March 2026, 44% has not yet been carried out. This suggests that the employment sustainment percentages reported in this publication may be underestimated.

• The statistics show a clear shift in the age profile of people supported by NOLB. Most participants starting are now aged 25 and over, compared with early years when most participants were under 25. Younger participants are more likely to enter employment (34% compared to 29% for those aged 25 and over) and do so quicker (164 days on average, compared to 168 days). However, 52‑week employment rates are similar across age groups (36% for under‑25s and 37% for those aged 25 and over), suggesting comparable long‑term attachment once in work.

• Gendered labour market patterns are also reflected in outcomes. Male participants make up a slight majority of participants (53%), but female participants are more concentrated in core working‑age groups (participants aged 25 to 49 years old). Female participants are less likely to enter employment (31% compared to 33% for male participants) and take longer to do so (170 days versus 162 days), yet female participants are more likely to sustain employment at 52 weeks (38% compared to 35% for male participants).

• There may be evidence of inequalities for participants from minority ethnic backgrounds. Although participation has increased to 16% of participants in 2025/26, employment entry rates are lower (26% compared to 33% for white participants), time to employment is longer (187 days versus 165 days), and sustained employment at 52 weeks is lower (35% compared to 37%). At the same time, minority ethnic participants are more likely to gain a qualification (24% compared to 20% for white participants).

• Health and disability are among the strongest influences on outcomes. In the most recent quarter, 49% of participants reported at least one long‑term health condition, most commonly mental health conditions, and disabled participants accounted for 37% of starts. Disabled participants are much less likely to enter employment (25% compared to 36% for non‑disabled participants), take the longest time to do so (191 days on average), and are less likely to sustain employment at 52 weeks (33% compared to 39%). However, rates of qualification gain and entry to education or training are similar to non‑disabled participants, which may suggest that poorer employment outcomes are driven less by skills engagement and more by job suitability and labour market conditions. In response to this level of need, 1,254 participants received Specialist Employability Support between April 2025 to March 2026.

• Improved data collection has also revealed the cumulative nature of disadvantage. A significant proportion of participants report barriers such as limited work experience, childcare, caring responsibilities, transport constraints, criminal convictions, homelessness or refugee status, often in combination.

• Parents form a distinct group. Since April 2020, 34,507 parents (32% of participants) have received support, with 34% of participants in 2025/26 being parents. Parents are predominantly female (70%) and more likely to be from a minority ethnic background, although a similar proportion of parents compared to all participants report having a disability (27%). They are less likely to enter employment (30% compared to 32% overall), though 23% are already in work when starting support. They take longer to enter employment (184 days on average) but show strong sustained employment outcomes (39% at 52 weeks).

• Overall, the statistics show that No One Left Behind is increasingly supporting people facing complex, intersecting barriers to employment. While many participants move into work and sustain it, outcomes are strongly shaped by health, disability, caring responsibilities and wider labour market conditions, reinforcing the importance of flexible, tailored and system‑wide employability support.