Scottish Surveys Core Questions 2013

The SSCQ gathers survey responses from identical questions in the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, the Scottish Health Survey and the Scottish Household Survey into one output. SSCQ provides reliable and detailed information on the composition, characteristics and attitudes of Scottish households and adults across a number of topic areas including equality characteristics, housing, employment and perceptions of health and crime, and enables detailed sub-national analysis.

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5 Core Education and Economic Questions

This chapter presents breakdowns of SSCQ data on:

All reported differences are statistically significant unless stated otherwise.

Economic activity

The preferred source of statistics on economic activity by detailed characteristics in Scotland is the Annual Population Survey (APS).[39] In addition, the Labour Force Survey is used to produce headline estimates of employment and unemployment and is used to monitor the Scottish Government's Purpose Target on labour market participation.[40]

The SSCQ figures presented here report on all adults aged 16+, whereas statistics in the APS are restricted to the working age population of 16 to 64. For the purpose of comparison, the overall employment rate in SSCQ 2013 for adults aged 16 to 64 was 68% compared to 71% for the APS. Unemployment among adults aged 16+ was 4.3% in SSCQ 2013 compared with the official estimate of 7.7% from the APS. Among young people aged 16-24, the APS reported 53% employment, while the SSCQ estimate was 50%.

A comparison of SSCQ and census findings is provided in Annex A, Table A.7.

Highest achieved qualification

The preferred source of statistics on educational level by detailed characteristics in Scotland is the Annual Population Survey (see also economic activity).

Qualifications were grouped into categories as follows:

No qualifications
Level 1: O Grade, Standard Grade or equivalent (SVQ level 1 or 2)
Level 2: Higher, A level or equivalent (SVQ Level 3)
Level 3: HNC/HND or equivalent (SVQ Level 4)
Level 4: Degree, Professional qualification (Above SVQ Level 4)
Other qualifications

A comparison of SSCQ and census findings is provided in Annex A, Table A.8.

5.1 Economic activity

Across Scotland, 55% of respondents were in employment in 2013, 40% were inactive and 4.3% were unemployed.

People in the most deprived fifth of neighbourhoods were four times more likely to be unemployed (9.0%) than those in the least deprived fifth of households (2.1%) (see Figure 17).

Unemployment levels were similar across ethnic groups and countries of birth, although people born in the rest of the UK were a little less likely to be unemployed (3.0%)) than those born in Scotland (4.4%).

Young people aged 16 to 24 were around five times more likely to be unemployed (female: 8.0%, male: 13%) than 55 to 64 year olds (female: 1.5%, male: 2.7%).

Figure 17: Proportion unemployed by deprivation, age and ethnic group

Figure 17

People with level 1 or higher qualifications were more than twice as likely to be in employment (58% to 72%) than people with no qualifications (27%). This is likely due to a large proportion of people with no qualifications being of pensionable age.

Table 5.1: Economic activity

  Response % Totals
  In employment Unemployed Inactive Adults Sample
All 55.2 4.3 40.4 4,398,900 21,038
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
1: most deprived fifth of households 44.4 9.0 46.5 859,800 3,942
2 53.0 5.2 41.8 871,600 4,305
3 56.8 3.2 39.9 902,300 4,615
4 61.5 2.3 36.1 891,700 4,454
5: least deprived fifth of households 59.8 2.1 38.1 873,500 3,722
Detailed Tenure
Owned outright 36.1 1.7 62.2 1,265,100 6,894
Mortgaged 81.0 2.2 16.6 1,543,600 6,445
Social rented 35.5 9.6 54.7 950,900 4,889
Private rented 62.0 6.5 31.5 583,300 2,558
Unknown rented 33.9 8.9 57.2 46,800 222
Highest Qualification Held
No qualifications 26.6 4.4 68.9 833,600 4,453
Level 1 58.1 8.5 33.4 859,400 3,928
Level 2 61.5 4.0 34.4 745,000 3,234
Level 3 71.7 3.6 24.8 477,200 2,198
Level 4 69.9 2.2 28.0 1,219,400 5,768
Other qualification 18.9 1.9 79.2 228,500 1,293
Ethnic Group
White: Scottish 54.3 4.4 41.2 3,501,200 16,949
White: Other British 56.6 3.1 40.2 531,400 2,631
White: Polish 82.4 4.1 13.5 55,800 211
White: Other* 61.8 5.6 32.5 155,300 661
Asian** 52.2 6.0 41.6 99,800 359
All other ethnic groups*** 55.6 5.8 38.6 51,300 209
Sexual Orientation
Heterosexual 55.4 4.3 40.3 4,237,300 20,178
LGB & other 56.8 8.5 34.3 65,700 292
Car Access
No car 29.5 9.0 61.4 1,090,800 5,780
1 car 54.4 3.7 41.8 1,834,300 9,200
2 cars 74.7 1.6 23.6 1,152,900 4,918
3 or more cars 76.6 1.9 21.5 320,600 1,139
Limiting Long-term Health Condition
Limiting condition 22.6 3.6 73.7 992,300 5,644
No limiting condition 64.8 4.5 30.6 3,391,000 15,318
Respondent Age and Sex
Female 16-24 50.2 8.0 41.8 312,600 981
Female 25-34 71.2 5.5 23.3 346,000 1,730
Female 35-44 72.5 4.6 23.0 363,100 1,800
Female 45-54 76.4 2.7 20.9 407,200 2,077
Female 55-64 48.0 1.5 50.4 337,900 1,920
Female 65-74 * * 90.4 268,300 1,691
Female 75+ * * 98.8 254,500 1,556
Male 16-24 49.4 12.8 37.4 316,200 799
Male 25-34 81.4 8.1 10.3 334,000 1,243
Male 35-44 84.1 5.2 10.4 344,300 1,410
Male 45-54 79.0 4.7 16.2 387,800 1,671
Male 55-64 59.6 2.7 37.7 324,000 1,673
Male 65-74 * * 84.4 239,000 1,460
Male 75+ * * 97.3 164,000 1,027

Footnotes

Ethnic Groups

* 'White: Other' includes ‘White: Irish’, ‘White: Gypsy/Traveller’ and ‘White: Other White Ethnic Group’
** 'Asian' includes the categories Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British
*** 'All other ethnic groups' includes categories within the 'Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Group', ‘African’, ‘Caribbean or Black’, and ‘Other Ethnic Group’ sections.

Key to education levels

Level 1 - O Grade, Standard Grade or equiv (SVQ level 1 or 2)
Level 2 - Higher, A level or equivalent (SVQ Level 3)
Level 3 - HNC/HND or equivalent (SVQ Level 4)
Level 4 - Degree, Professional qualification (Above SVQ Level 4)

5.2 Highest achieved qualification

Across Scotland, 19% of respondents reported having no qualifications, 20% level 1 (O Grade, Standard Grade or equivalent), 17% level 2 (Higher, A level or equivalent), 11% level 3 (HNC/HND or equivalent) and 28% level 4 (Degree, Professional qualification).

One in three people in the most deprived areas held no qualifications (33%), four times the proportion of people in the least deprived areas (8.1%). Conversely, one in ten (11%) of people in the most deprived areas held a degree or professional qualification, compared with nearly half of people in the least deprived areas (48%).

Similar socioeconomic comparisons were revealed by car access and tenure: people without access to a car were half as likely to hold a degree or professional qualification (15%) than the Scottish average (28%). For social tenants this dropped to a quarter (7%) of the Scottish average.

More than half of people who identified in an ethnic group other than white held degrees or professional qualifications (Asian: 51%, All other ethnic groups: 52%), around double the Scottish average.

Similarly, more than half of respondents born outside the EU held degrees or professional qualifications (53%), followed by rest of EU and rest of UK born (both 45%) and then born in Scotland (23%).

Figure 18: Percentage of adults with degrees or professional qualifications by age, deprivation, country of birth and current economic activity

Figure 18

Qualifications were strongly age dependent, with large proportions of older people holding low or no qualifications. This influences the lower numbers of qualifications found among people born in Scotland and identifying as 'White: Scottish', who include larger numbers of older respondents.

Table 5.2: Highest achieved qualification

  Response % Totals
  No qualifications Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Other qualification Adults Sample
All 19.0 19.5 16.9 10.8 27.7 5.2 4,398,900 21,038
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
1: most deprived fifth of households 32.8 25.7 14.0 8.9 11.2 6.0 859,800 3,942
2 22.4 23.3 18.1 10.5 18.6 6.3 871,600 4,305
3 18.9 19.7 18.4 11.8 25.4 5.3 902,300 4,615
4 12.9 17.1 16.6 12.7 35.1 5.1 891,700 4,454
5: least deprived fifth of households 8.1 12.0 17.5 10.3 48.0 3.3 873,500 3,722
Detailed Tenure
Owned outright 22.6 14.2 14.2 9.2 29.9 9.2 1,265,100 6,894
Mortgaged 8.4 19.6 20.1 13.5 36.3 1.7 1,543,600 6,445
Social rented 35.1 28.3 12.5 7.9 7.0 7.6 950,900 4,889
Private rented 11.1 17.4 21.6 12.2 34.6 2.3 583,300 2,558
Unknown rented 38.4 14.0 17.8 8.0 19.4 2.3 46,800 222
Respondent Economic Activity
In employment 9.1 20.6 18.9 14.1 35.1 1.8 2,427,100 10,762
Unemployed 19.4 38.3 15.6 9.0 13.9 2.3 190,200 804
Inactive 32.3 16.2 14.4 6.6 19.2 10.2 1,778,200 9,457
Ethnic Group
White: Scottish 20.5 21.0 17.5 11.4 23.2 5.8 3,501,200 16,949
White: Other British 12.0 15.4 16.0 9.1 43.3 3.3 531,400 2,631
White: Polish 17.9 16.4 14.9 11.4 34.7 1.3 55,800 211
White: Other* 12.2 11.0 14.1 7.1 50.8 2.3 155,300 661
Asian** 17.3 10.8 8.9 8.4 51.4 2.2 99,800 359
All other ethnic groups*** 13.9 11.7 11.1 8.1 51.5 1.0 51,300 209
Sexual Orientation
Heterosexual 18.8 19.7 16.9 10.8 27.8 5.2 4,237,300 20,178
LGB & other 10.1 14.4 25.8 13.9 30.1 4.9 65,700 292
Car Access
No car 33.5 20.6 14.6 7.1 14.5 8.1 1,090,800 5,780
1 car 18.7 20.0 16.3 10.8 27.5 6.0 1,834,300 9,200
2 cars 8.7 16.9 18.9 13.2 39.8 2.2 1,152,900 4,918
3 or more cars 7.6 22.9 21.3 15.5 31.0 1.5 320,600 1,139
Limiting Long-term Health Condition
Limiting condition 36.5 17.1 11.7 8.1 16.9 9.0 992,300 5,644
No limiting condition 13.8 20.3 18.5 11.7 30.9 4.1 3,391,000 15,318
Respondent Age and Sex
Female 16-24 5.3 30.1 36.0 11.8 14.7 1.4 312,600 981
Female 25-34 7.2 18.0 15.5 16.3 41.8 0.8 346,000 1,730
Female 35-44 8.8 22.3 14.4 13.1 39.4 1.4 363,100 1,800
Female 45-54 14.7 25.1 13.8 13.4 30.7 1.8 407,200 2,077
Female 55-64 25.5 16.1 13.5 9.2 28.1 7.1 337,900 1,920
Female 65-74 39.0 10.1 9.1 4.0 20.1 17.1 268,300 1,691
Female 75+ 48.8 6.8 5.1 5.1 13.5 18.3 254,500 1,556
Male 16-24 9.1 28.7 36.0 12.0 10.7 1.8 316,200 799
Male 25-34 7.9 21.5 18.2 13.5 36.9 1.3 334,000 1,243
Male 35-44 10.0 21.4 17.9 14.5 34.8 0.8 344,300 1,410
Male 45-54 18.5 23.8 14.9 11.2 28.6 2.3 387,800 1,671
Male 55-64 22.2 17.0 17.5 8.0 29.3 5.9 324,000 1,673
Male 65-74 35.1 11.0 9.4 7.5 23.9 12.2 239,000 1,460
Male 75+ 41.3 6.9 8.9 4.6 23.2 13.5 164,000 1,027

Footnotes

Key to education levels

Level 1 - O Grade, Standard Grade or equiv (SVQ level 1 or 2)
Level 2 - Higher, A level or equivalent (SVQ Level 3)
Level 3 - HNC/HND or equivalent (SVQ Level 4)
Level 4 - Degree, Professional qualification (Above SVQ Level 4)

Ethnic Groups

* 'White: Other' includes ‘White: Irish’, ‘White: Gypsy/Traveller’ and ‘White: Other White Ethnic Group’
** 'Asian' includes the categories Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British
*** 'All other ethnic groups' includes categories within the 'Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Group', ‘African’, ‘Caribbean or Black’, and ‘Other Ethnic Group’ sections.

Contact

Email: Jamie Robertson

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