Scotland's Labour Market Insights: October 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 September 2025 was 48,605, 8.7% (3,890) higher than in September 2024.

Figure 13: 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 job adverts

Estimated Number of New Online Job Adverts, Scotland, January 2018 to September 2025

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

Data for Figure 13 can be obtained from Textkernel new online job adverts data released on 23 October 2025.

New adverts represent the number of adverts that appear for the first time across the month

Difficulties recruiting employees (BICS)

The ONS’s 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 September 2025, businesses not permanently stopped trading were asked if they had experienced any difficulties recruiting employees in the previous calendar month (August 2025).

Figure 14: The proportion of businesses reporting difficulties in recruiting employees has generally been on a downward trend since March 2022, with an estimated 22.3% reporting difficulties in August 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 - 140.

Source: BICS Weighted Scotland Estimates - Wave 141 Scottish Government

Data for Figure 14 can be obtained from BICS weighted Scotland estimates: data to wave 141 data released on 9 October 2025.

In the latest period, the industry sectors with the highest proportion of businesses reporting recruitment difficulties were Transport & Storage (41.6%), Construction (25.3%) and Administration & Support Services (24.1%).

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.

Official statistics in development for No One Left Behind show a total of 92,523 people started receiving support from April 2019 to June 2025. The number of people starting to receive support has increased each year from 2,652 in 2019/20 to 23,866 in 2024/25.

In the most recent quarter, quarter 1 of year 7, 5,541 people started to receive support through No One Left Behind. This was an 11% decrease on the previous quarter and a 4% decrease 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.