BT dials up £1.2bn for Scots economy, report claims

Telecoms giant BT Group is responsible for generating £1 in every £110 produced in the Scottish economy, while supporting more than 20,000 jobs, a new study reveals.

The group is one of the biggest private sector employers in Scotland. Picture: Adam Liversage/BT

The independent report by Hatch Regeneris shows that the company made a £1.2 billion contribution – expressed as gross value added (GVA) – to the economy during the 2017/18 financial year.

The study estimates that the equivalent of 20,690 full-time jobs in Scotland are supported through the firm’s direct employment, its spending with contractors and suppliers and the spending of its employees. BT Group directly employs some 7,700 people north of the Border.

Tim Fanning, director at Hatch Regeneris, said: “Our analysis underlines how vast BT Group’s contribution is to the UK economy, particularly across the nations and regions. BT Group is almost unique in contributing to the economies of virtually every community across the UK.”