Unemployment Remains Static

Unemployment in Scotland remains unchanged and has fallen by 4, 000 this year, according to the ONS.

The latest figures released today show that 164, 000 people are currently out of work.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the unemployment rate here is 5.9%, compared to 5.5% across the UK.

Headline Statistics for the May to July 2015 quarter:
 

• Employment in Scotland fell by 12,000 over the quarter, and increased by 4,000 over the year, to stand at 2,612,000.
• The Scots employment rate decreased over the quarter at 74.0%. The rate is above the UK average of 73.5%.
• Unemployment in Scotland remained unchanged and fell by 4,000 over the year.  The level now stands at 164,000.
• At 5.9 %, the Scots unemployment rate is above the UK’s rate of 5.5%.
• Economic Activity fell by 12,000 over the quarter and now stands at 2,776,000. Also, the Economic Activity rate decreased over the quarter to stand at 78.7%.
• In August 2015, the number of people out of work and claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) was 69,800.

The Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell said: ‘The government’s long term plan has laid the foundations for a stronger economy. It is almost exactly a year since Scotland made the historic decision to remain part of the UK. In those 12 months we have seen further improvements in the Scottish Labour market with employment increasing and unemployment falling.

‘The UK Government is committed to a lower tax and higher wage economy for those in work and since 2010 we have 175,000 more people working in Scotland. Being part of the larger UK economy provides more opportunities and more security for people in Scotland. Scotland made the right decision last September.’

Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary said: “Despite Ministers in both the Scottish and UK Governments continuing to run highly optimistic lines, the truth is that the Scottish labour market is now stagnating with unemployment still over 55,000 higher than spring 2008.  Employment is lower and unemployment higher than last autumn.  This was not a positive set of statistics.

“The period of strong jobs growth for women now also seems to be reversing with a 5,000 rise in women’s unemployment and a 17,000 fall in employment over the last quarter.

“The one bright spot is stronger wage growth for the UK as a whole.  However, real wages are still a long way from recovering their pre-recession value and no up to date credible statistics are available for Scotland.”

Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training Roseanna Cunningham said: “I am particularly pleased to see improvements in youth employment figures in the same week that the Scottish Government has given Scotland’s local authorities an additional £5.8 million to deliver a range of activity to support more young people into jobs.

“This is further evidence that the road Scotland has taken, to bring schools, college and employers together, is the right one. I expect to see further progress in the coming months as we push for a 40 per cent reduction in youth unemployment by 2021.

“However, while the overall economic picture remains generally very positive, particularly when compared to where we were at the peak of the recession, there remains work to be done.

“We must maintain momentum and ensure that every power at our disposal is used to grow the economy, increase employment, lower unemployment and remove barriers to the jobs market.

“We are currently consulting on how employability services for disabled people and those at risk of long-term unemployment will look after these powers are devolved to Scotland in 2017. This is a real opportunity to design a service that is tailored to the needs of Scots looking for work and I would urge everyone to have their say.”

Ms Cunningham also welcomed the report on offender reintegration and added:

“This week we have also extended funding for this year’s Community Jobs Scotland (CJS) to include young people with convictions aged 25 to 29 to take up opportunities for up to 12 months. CJS helps vulnerable people, including offenders, overcome barriers to employment and provides real work experience in a more supportive environment, further boosting Scotland’s economic growth.”