Unemployment In Scotland Rises

6, 000 more people joined the dole queue between November 2014 and January 2015, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Data shows that 162, 000 people are currently out of work. The Scottish unemployment rate is 5.9%, which is above the rate of 5.7% for the whole of the UK. Unemployment across the UK is down by 102, 000 to 1.86 million.

The number of those in employment in Scotland now stands at 2,611,000.
 
The Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael said: “Today’s figures round off a remarkable period of success for this government – we now have 174,000 more people in Scotland in work than we did in 2010. The number of women in employment has also increased by 101,000 in that time.
 
“That shows the real difference the economic choices of this government have made to the lives of people in Scotland. We saw record employment in 2014, while the number of people claiming benefits has fallen by over 27,000 over the last 12 months and is down to a level last seen in June 2008.
 
“Today’s Budget will build on that success as we take further steps to secure a prosperous future and manage our finances responsibly. The latest economic forecasts confirm growth will continue this year and next and strengthen the labour market further.”

Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work Roseanna Cunningham has welcomed the latest figures: “Today’s statistics show the real progress being made in supporting more women into work with increasing levels of female employment helping close the gender gap.

“The difference in employment rates between men and women has now fallen to 3.8%, compared to the UK average of 9.6%.

“Our commitment to workplace equality will mean more role models for future generations, once and for all removing any suggestion that your gender has a bearing on your abilities.

“The focus on giving young people the skills employers need is also paying off with youth unemployment falling to its lowest level since Nov-Jan 2009 and youth employment increasing 18,000 since last year.

“We want a modern, inclusive and skilled Scottish workforce that is the envy of other countries. It will help us build a fairer, more equitable Scotland and attract investment from around the world.

“To do that we want a workforce that properly reflects our society.

“It is also imperative to assure people that their contribution to the workplace is valued; that that their work will be rewarded fairly with good wages and development opportunities.

“We have supported this on many fronts; from huge investment in childcare; leading from the front in the gender equality debate and doing all we can to ensure that the young workforce is optimistic about their future.

“Whilst Scotland continues to have a higher employment rate than the UK as a whole, today’s figures show a slight increase in unemployment on the previous quarter. This can be explained, in part, by falling levels of economic inactivity as more people join the labour market and start looking for work.

“Given the increase in the claimant count in both Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire over the last month, difficulties faced by the oil and gas sector may also be a factor – reinforcing the need for Chancellor George Osborne to use today’s budget to at long last take the action on oil taxation we have been calling for since the start of the year.”