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

• Between April 2019 to June 2026, 118,956 people started receiving support through Scotland’s No One Left Behind approach. Participation increased steadily from 2,654 participants in 2019/20 to 24,728 in 2025/26. The most recent quarter (April - June 2026) saw 7,268 new starts, a 14% increase on the previous quarter and 13% higher than the same quarter the year before. This increase may reflect participants moving onto No One Left Behind from other programmes that are no longer funded, for example the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

• Around one‑third of participants entered employment (32%, 37,663 people), after an average of 169 days of support. Employment is the most common positive outcome, but not the only one, with over 92,500 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 was reported for the first time in August 2026. Of the 52 week follow-up checks due between October 2025 and June 2026, 42% had not yet been carried out. This suggests that the employment sustainment percentages reported in this publication may be underestimated.

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• The statistics show a clear shift in the age profile of people supported by No One Left Behind. While most participants in the early years were aged under 25, the age profile is now more balanced, with participants split relatively evenly between those aged under 25 and those aged 25 and over. Younger participants are more likely to enter employment (34% compared to 29% for those aged 25 and over) and do so quicker (167 days on average, compared to 172 days). However, participants aged 25 and over are more likely to be employed at 52‑weeks (38%) compared to those aged under 25 (36%).

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• 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 (174 days versus 166 days), yet female participants are more likely to sustain employment at 52 weeks (39% compared to 35% for male participants).

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• There is 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 (25% compared to 33% for white participants), time to employment is longer (190 days versus 169 days). However, sustained employment at 52 weeks is similar (36% compared to 37%). At the same time, minority ethnic participants are more likely to gain a qualification (25% compared to 21% for white participants).

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• 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 36% of starts. Disabled participants are much less likely to enter employment (25% compared to 35% for non‑disabled participants), take the longest time to do so (197 days versus 161 days), 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 more 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, 1,999 participants received Specialist Employability Support between April 2025 to June 2026.

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• Parents form a distinct group. Since April 2020, 36,309 parents (31% 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 (21% compared to 13%), although the same proportion of parents compared to all participants report having a disability (28%). 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 (190 days on average) but show strong sustained employment outcomes (40% at 52 weeks).

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• 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.