Listen
Employment remains resilient - Minister
17/09/2008
Latest employment statistics show employment in Scotland at 76.3 per cent, higher than the UK average at 74.7 per cent.
The May - July 2008 Labour Market Statistics also show Scotland's unemployment rate is lower than the UK average based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) measure, but the same using the Claimant Count measure.
The figures also show a fall in employment from historically high levels.
Enterprise Minister Jim Mather said:
"The Scottish economy continues to show resilience in the face of global economic uncertainty. Unemployment in Scotland is still falling, by 18,000 over the last year, and our employment rate is 1.6 percentage points above the UK average at 76.3 per cent.
"This Government won't simply wait for things to get better - we will continue to act to make Scotland more competitive, for example through cutting business rates, to ensure Scotland's labour market can make a full contribution towards our goal of increased sustainable economic growth.
"We will put more money into people's pockets, by freezing the Council Tax and abolishing prescription charges, boosting local spending power. And we will take decisive action where we have the powers to do so, such as accelerating investment in affordable housing.
"The challenge is to ensure we build on our strengths and give Scots the opportunity for well paid and rewarding employment."
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) measure of unemployment is a survey based estimate of the number of people out of work who are actively seeking a job and are available to start work. The Claimant Count or Jobseeker's Allowance measure records the number claiming unemployment related benefits.