82% of jobs created in Scotland post-2010 low-paid

More than 80 per cent of jobs created in Scotland since 2010 have been low-paid, according to new figures. Picture: Getty

The statistics from the House of Commons library also revealed that 28 per cent of the 27,000 new jobs created north of the Border since 2010 are zero hours contracts where employees are not guaranteed work from the company.

The revelations led to clashes during Scottish questions between Labour’s shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran and Tory Scotland Office minister David Mundell.

Ms Curran said: “This Government stands up for the wrong people: they help out their friends who have been avoiding their taxes, yet they do not help those who work hard and play by the rules, but do not even get a decent wage in return.

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“Will the Minister take any action in what remains of the last days of this Government to help ordinary working people to get a decent wage, or is the only hope is that in 71 days’ time, we get rid of this out of touch Government and get a Labour Government who will put working people first?”

But Mr Mundell demanded that instead Ms Curran endorses Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson’s policy of providing incentives to companies which pay the living wage, which is higher than the minimum wage.

He said: “You could start by endorsing Ruth Davidson’s proposal to incentivise the paying of the minimum wage, and that is actually a fact, not rhetoric.

As I have told the honourable lady on numerous occasions, if she has evidence of people not being paid the minimum wage, she should bring that forward.

“This week the Government did something the Labour Government never did: we named and shamed 70 companies, including some in Scotland, that do not pay the minimum wage. What she should be celebrating is the fact that this Government have delivered 107 jobs a day in Scotland, 1,645 of which are in her constituency, as can be seen from the drop in jobseeker’s allowance claimants.”