SCOTLAND has seen a record rise in employment, with 51,000 people finding work in just three months.
May to July also saw the jobless total fall to its lowest level since 2008, with the unemployment rate for Scotland now below the UK average.
The latest quarterly data from the Office for National Statistics showed employment grew to 2,631,000 – a rise of 17,000 on the same period in 2015.
At the same time the unemployment total – which includes those out of work and not eligible for benefits – fell by 29,000 to stand at 130,000.
The unemployment rate fell by more than a point to 4.7 per cent, lower than the 4.9 per cent recorded across the UK as a whole. However, Scotland’s employment rate of 74.1 per cent was marginally lower than the UK total of 74.5 per cent.
Holyrood’s Economy Secretary Keith Brown said the “encouraging figures” showed the “fundamentals of the Scottish economy are strong”.
He warned: “There is no doubt that Brexit poses a real and direct risk to continued economic recovery in
Scotland.
“These labour market figures continue to show the utmost importance of Scotland and the UK as a whole retaining membership of the European single market, which will enable us to build on this encouraging progress and ensure that everyone in Scotland benefits from economic growth.”
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said while Scotland and UK are “on a strong footing” ahead of negotiations to leave the European Union, there “is no room for complacency”.
The UK Government minister said: “Today’s figures are welcome news. They show a near record high of over 2.6 million people in work, with Scotland’s employment having risen by over 51,000 between May and July.
“Unemployment is down to its lowest level since 2008, bringing the Scottish rate down to 4.7 per cent, lower than the UK rate of 4.9 per cent.
“These improvements put Scotland, and the whole of the UK, on a strong footing as we approach the negotiations to exit the European Union.”
The number of Scots who were out of work and claiming jobseeker’s allowance fell to 53,500 in August, a drop of 500 on the previous month and making the total 17,000 lower than it was a year ago.
Brown added: “The statistics continue to show that Scotland is outperforming the rest of the UK in terms of youth employment and I am very pleased that the female employment rate has risen over the quarter, a testament to our work to ensure women have the same equality of opportunities in the labour market as their male counterparts.”
Business leaders at CBI Scotland said with the impact of the Brexit vote still unknown, Scottish and UK governments must work together to boost the economy.
Director Hugh Aitken said: “With much of the data still pre-referendum, it’s too early to make any assumptions about the effect of June’s vote to leave the European Union on Scotland’s labour market.
“However, it is encouraging to see that Scotland’s job numbers have continued to grow in the first half of the year, especially in light of slow GDP growth and continuing challenges for North Sea oil and gas.”
He added: “Significant challenges lie ahead for Scottish public services while the EU referendum result still casts uncertainty over the wider economy.
“It is therefore essential that the UK and Scottish governments work closely together ahead of the UK-EU negotiations to ensure we get the best deal possible for business and individuals’ prosperity.”
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