September Labour Market statstics for Scotland
Unemployment in Scotland increased by 10,000 in the period May to July 2013, according to ONS data released today.
Unemployment in Scotland increased by 10,000, to 203,000 in the period May to July 2013, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data released today. The Scottish unemployment rate is 7.4 per cent, which is below the average of 7.7 per cent for the whole of the UK.
The labour market statistics also show employment in Scotland has increased by 6,000 over the three months May to July 2013. The number of those in employment in Scotland now stands at 2,536,000.
The Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore said:
A fall in the number claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance for the tenth consecutive month together with an increase in employment is good news, although tempered by the rise in unemployment. Overall, 15,200 fewer people are claiming unemployment benefit compared to one year ago.
While we have seen encouraging signs for our economy, the economic conditions remain difficult and we cannot and will not be complacent. The Government’s priority is to create opportunities to help people back into work. I met all our partners in the Scottish Employability Forum where our collective focus remains on getting people across Scotland back into sustainable jobs.
The key to a successful labour market is to get the economy growing and that is what we are doing. During the last Spending Round we increased the Scottish Government’s capital spending power to £3.3bn and I look forward to hearing more examples over the coming months of the way that they are spending that money to boost the Scottish economy.
Headline Statistics for the May to July 2013 quarter:
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Employment in Scotland increased by 6,000 over the quarter, and increased by 45,000 over the year, to stand at 2,536,000.
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The Scots employment rate increased over the quarter to 72.4 per cent. The rate is above the UK average of 71.6 per cent.
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Unemployment in Scotland increased by 10,000 over the quarter and fell by 19,000 over the year. The level now stands at 203,000.
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At 7.4 per cent, the Scots unemployment rate is below the UK rate as a whole at 7.7 per cent.
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Economic Activity increased by 15,000 over the quarter and now stands at 2,739,000. The Economic Activity rate increased over the quarter to stand at 78.4 per cent.
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In August 2013, the number of people out of work and claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) was 126,000.
Latest Data for Scotland
Employment
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) indicates that the number of people in employment in Scotland from May to June 2013 was 2,536,000. Employment was up by 6,000 compared to the previous three months, and was up by 45,000 compared to the same quarter last year. The employment rate was up on the previous quarter by 0.2 p.p., and it was up by 1.1 p.p. compared to the same quarter last year, at 72.4 per cent. In comparison, the Scottish employment rate is above the UK average.
Unemployment
Unemployment in Scotland was up 10,000 over the quarter May to July 2013, to 203,000. The level was down 19,000 compared to the same quarter last year. The unemployment rate was up by 0.3 p.p. on the previous quarter at 7.4 per cent, which is down 0.8 p.p. over the year.
Claimant Count
The claimant count in Scotland, based on the seasonally adjusted number of people claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA), fell by 2,900 from July to 126,000 in August 2013. The level is down by 15,200 on August 2012. The claimant count rate is down 0.1 p.p. over the month at 4.5 per cent, and is down 0.5 p.p. over the year.
Economic Activity
The number of economically active (defined as those in employment or ILO unemployed, and seasonally adjusted) in Scotland in the May to June 2013 quarter was 2,739,000. This was up 15,000 on the previous quarter, and is up 26,000 on the same point a year ago. Among those aged 16-64 the economic activity rate was 78.4 per cent, up 0.6 p.p. on the previous quarter, and up 0.6 p.p. over the year.