UNEMPLOYMENT in Scotland has dropped to its lowest level of 3.2 per cent after five consecutive months of record-low figures.
Latest statistics indicate that there were 89,000 Scots registered as unemployed in the first quarter of 2019, a drop of 24.5 per cent compared to the start of 2018 and 13.8 per cent lower than the period of October to December 2018.
However, the employment rate in Scotland for people between the ages of 16 and 64 showed a slight decrease in January to March, down 0.1 per cent rom the previous quarter - an estimated 3,000 fewer people employed.
According to the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) data, the percentage of economically inactive people in Scotland rose by 0.3 per cent in the last three months, accounting for the drop in both employment and unemployment rates.
Business minister Jamie Hepburn said: “The Scottish economy and jobs market continues to strengthen. Scotland’s employment rate is 75.4 per cent and the unemployment rate sits at 3.2 per cent, a new record low and lower than the UK rate.
“Labour market figures for women and young people in Scotland once again outperform the UK. Scotland’s employment rate for women rose to 72 per cent, higher than the UK rate of 71.8 per cent.”
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