Scottish Secretary comments on December Labour Market Statistics

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:

“Today’s figures tell a positive story for Scotland, with unemployment down and the number of people on the payroll continuing to exceed pre-pandemic figures.

“Clearly, we are not yet over the pandemic, but it does suggest that our Plan for Jobs is working, helping people up and down the country find well-paid, skilled employment.

“Creating high quality jobs and ensuring recovery from the pandemic remain our top priorities. That’s why we’ve guaranteed record Barnett-based funding for Scotland and we’re giving NHS Scotland the support it needs to help tackle Covid.”

Background

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the rate of unemployment in Scotland is down 4.1% from the previous three months (May-July). The level of people in employment increased quarter on quarter by a rate of 0.5p.p.