THE Scottish Government is committing a further £33 million to help people get back to work, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
New Office of National Statistics figures which cover the first three months of 2020 show Scotland's unemployment rate was 4.1% (113,000 workers), higher than the 3.9% recorded for the UK as a whole.
In comparison, the previous figures for December 2019 to February 2020 indicated 105,000 Scots were not in work.
The First Minister stressed Scotland's rate was "relatively low" by historical standards. But she warned the figures "do not reflect the full economic impact of the pandemic".
The rise in unemployment "undoubtedly further demonstrates the need to carefully get our economy moving again as quickly as we are able to do that safely", the FM stated.
Explaining the new funding at the Scottish Government’s daily briefing, Sturgeon commented: "We will be investing a further £33m to support people back to work as we gradually get the economy opened up again."
She said "most" of the funds would go to the Fair Start Scotland scheme, and would "have a particularly focus on helping those most adversely affected", including young and disabled people, as well as lone parents.
READ MORE: Another 29 people die in Scotland after contracting Covid-19
The FM added that ministers would prioritise efforts to minimise any coronavirus-related increases in unemployment.
"We are determined to do everything we can to protect Scotland's workforce, to minimise as far as we can the increase in unemployment, and also to ensure that we are ready for a sustainable recovery," she told the briefing.
"Today's action represent a further step in helping us to do that."
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