Slight drop in Scotland’s unemployment rate

Unemployment in Scotland dropped slightly in the last quarter, according to latest figures.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the unemployment rate for those aged 16 and over between November 2021 and January 2022 was 3.8%, down 0.3% on the previous quarter.

The employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 was 74.5%, a drop of 0.1% on the three-month period before that.

This was below the UK-wide employment rate of 75.6% for that age group while the unemployment rate for those aged 16 and over was 3.9%.

In Scotland, there were 2.55 million people aged 16-64 in employment between November 2021 and January 2022.

In that age group, 104,000 people were unemployed.

Employment Minister Richard Lochhead said: “For November to January 2022, Scotland’s estimated employment rate fell slightly over the quarter to 74.5% while the estimated unemployment rate fell to 3.8%.

“This latest time period reflects the emergence of the Omicron variant at the end of last year, when it was necessary to implement strict public health measures to curtail its spread.

“Separate HMRC early estimates show 2.42 million payrolled employees in Scotland in February 2022, 34,000 more than in February 2020, prior to the pandemic.

“While we continue to face economic challenges, especially with the rising cost of living and the potential economic impacts of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Scottish Government remains committed to doing all we can to help our economy recover.

“We are also investing an additional £68.3 million in employability and training to help businesses address skills shortages and help build a fairer, more prosperous economy for everyone.”