SCOTLAND has a higher rate of people out of work than the UK as a whole, say new figures.
The number of people without jobs in Scotland rose by 6,000 between November and January, while overall the number fell by 102,000 across the UK. The Scots jobless rate is currently 5.9 per cent, which is above the rate of 5.7 per cent for the whole of the UK.
But while critics said the figures were disappointing, government ministers also pointed to a rise in the number of people joining the labour market.
Between November and January 6,000 people, such as students, school leavers and women with young children found jobs. According to the Office for National Statistics there are 2,611,000 Scots in work, which is 48,000 more than the total 12 months ago, and the Scottish employment rate remains higher than the UK’s, at 74 per cent instead of 73.3 per cent.
The figures also revealed a fall in the number of people who are out of work and claiming jobseeker’s allowance, with this dropping by 2,000 from January to stand at 79,400 in February, a decrease of 27,700 on the total from February last year.
They also showed that the number of women in employment has increased by 101,000 since 2010.
But Grahame Smith, Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) general secretary, said it was a “worrying” set of statistics with many people in low paid and insecure jobs. “Scotland is one of only two nations and regions of the UK to register an increase in unemployment over the past three months,” he said.
“It is remarkable that the male employment rate is now back to where it was two years ago while the female rate has increased by 5.6 per cent. While it’s clearly positive that women’s relative position in the labour market is improving, serious concerns remain as to the quality and security of the jobs being created.”
Liz Cameron, chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said the rise in unemployment was “disappointing” and was a “reminder of the challenges that affect the Scottish economy”.
She said: “These figures cover a period when the effects of the low oil prices were beginning to bite in our oil and gas sector. That said, we should remember employment has increased by 6,000 over the same period and the reason for these apparently contradictory changes has been that Scotland’s pool of available workers has grown.”
Scottish Fair Work Secretary Roseanna Cunningham pointed to the figures showing rising levels of female employment, which she said showed “real progress being made in supporting more women into work”.
Cunningham added that the gender gap between male and female employment rates in Scotland had fallen to 3.8 per cent, compared with the UK average of 9.6 per cent.
“Our commitment to workplace equality will mean more role models for future generations,” she added. “The focus on giving young people the skills employers need is also paying off with youth unemployment falling to its lowest level since November to January 2009.”
Separate figures from Scotland’s Chief Statistician, also released yesterday, revealed in the last three months of 2014 public sector employment decreased by 24,100 to 545,100.
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