Scottish Secretary responds to April Labour Market Statistics

As the latest employment figures are published, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack says the resilience of the UK economy is benefitting every part of the country.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:

Today’s figures show how the resilience of the UK economy is benefitting every part of the country. While we should continue to keep a close eye on the jobs market, Scotland’s unemployment rate is now down to where it was in February 2020 and more people are in paid employment than before the pandemic.

As we level up opportunities right across the country, we’re taking steps to ensure everyone benefits from a thriving jobs market. Our Energy Security Strategy will help create over 40,000 more jobs in clean industries across the whole UK.

Through our extensive jobcentre network, we’re working to match people with jobs in the sectors that need them most and providing tailored support to help even more Scots back into employment.

Background

Figures from the ONS show Scotland’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 p.p. to 3.6 per cent over the quarter. The employment rate decreased slightly to 74.7 per cent between December and February 2022.