Scotsman Archive: More unemployed in Scotland, 18 January, 1949
Unemployment in Scotland at 6 December stood at 63,310 – which was 1,230 higher than the total at 15 November. The disturbing feature about the Scottish figures is that since June increases have been recorded monthly with the exception of the September-October period, when there was a slight fall of 239. Prophetically, in July, Sir Stafford Cripps, the Chancellor, referred to the possibility of local hardship but declared there was no fear of mass unemployment. He mentioned specifically the closing of one or two factories in the Scottish Development Areas which were producing electrical goods. Since then there have been the following rises in Scottish unemployment: June-July, 2,112; July-August 2,812; August-September, 1,778; October-November 3,889; and November-December, 1,290 – a total of 11,881.