Scotland's Labour Market Insights: April 2025

People moving into work

New Online Job Adverts (Textkernel)

These figures are innovative estimates of new online job adverts provided by Textkernel. The number of job adverts over time is an indicator of the demand for labour.

The total number of new online job adverts in Scotland in March 2025 was 47,605, 14% (6,000) higher than in March 2024.

Figure 15: New online job adverts in Scotland were at their lowest level in May 2020, with 20,995 new job adverts, and peaked in March 2022, with 74,575 new adverts

Online Job Adverts, Scotland, January 2018 to March 2025

Source: Textkernel online job adverts, non-seasonally adjusted, ONS

Notes:

1. New adverts represent the number of adverts that appear for the first time across the month
2. Counts have been rounded to the nearest 5

Difficulties recruiting employees (BICS)

The ONS’ Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) is a voluntary fortnightly business survey, which captures businesses’ responses on how their turnover, workforce, prices, trade and business resilience have been affected by current conditions.

In March 2025, businesses not permanently stopped trading were asked if they had experienced any difficulties recruiting employees in the previous calendar month (February 2024).

Figure 16: An estimated 25.2% of all businesses reported experiencing difficulties in recruiting employees in February 2025

Estimated share of businesses experiencing recruitment difficulties. All businesses not permanently stopped trading, with 10+ employees and a presence in Scotland. Applicable waves 55 - 128.

Source: BICS Weighted Scotland Estimates - Wave 128 from the Scottish Government.

In the latest period, the industry sectors with the highest proportion of businesses reporting recruitment difficulties were Health and Social Work (52.1%), Administration & Support Services (31.7%) and Construction (30.4%).

For further information, including breakdowns by industry sector and business size band, please see the latest BICS weighted Scotland estimates publication.

Employability Support Service – No One Left Behind

No One Left Behind (NOLB) is a strategic approach to employability delivery in Scotland.

A total of 73,470 people started receiving support through No One Left Behind from April 2019 to September 2024. The number of people starting to receive support has increased each year from 2,642 in year 1 (2019/20) to 21,919 in year 5 (2023/24).

In the most recent quarter, quarter 2 of year 6, 5,424 people started to receive support through No One Left Behind. This was a 2% increase on the previous quarter and a 1% increase on the same quarter in the previous year.

For more information, and breakdowns by equality characteristics, please see the latest Scotland's Devolved Employment Services publication. The next Scotland’s Devolved Employment Services release is scheduled for 14 May 2025.