Employment in Scotland has reached the highest level since records began in 1992, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The latest labour market figures reveal that total employment increased by 63,000 in the last year, bringing the total employment figure to 2,594,000.
The Scottish employment rate is now above the UK average, with 73.5% of the Scottish population employed compared to 73% for the rest of the UK.
The quarterly figures also show:
- Scottish youth employment reached 55.6%, higher than the UK average of 51.6%
- the number of employed women reached 1,250,000, or 69.8% of the female population
- employment levels have now risen for 18 consecutive months.
Angela Constance, cabinet secretary for training, youth and women’s employment, said:
“We know that Scotland’s economy has returned to pre-recession levels and these figures show that our recovery is continuing to gain momentum, with unemployment down and employment at its highest level ever.”
Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said:
“The economic recovery is now well underway and most indicators are positive but with wage growth still sluggish, the economy needs more than just consumer demand to drive it forwards. That is why we still need measures from government that will promote the business investment that is necessary to drive sustainable growth and new employment, coupled with a fresh approach to skills provision.”
