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Employment statistics
12/11/2008
Commenting on labour market figures which show that the unemployment rate in Scotland stands at 4.7 per cent compared to 5.8 per cent for the UK, Enterprise Minister Jim Mather said:
"While the labour market in Scotland remains relatively strong, with higher employment and significantly lower unemployment than elsewhere in the UK and other advanced economies, today's figures show that we are not immune from a global economic downturn. They confirm what the Scottish Government has been saying about how the financial crisis is impacting on the real economy.
"The Scottish Government has already taken steps to support Scottish business and families in the current challenging conditions. Within our fixed budget and the powers available to us we have set out steps to keep Scotland's economy moving forward as part of the Scottish Economic Recovery Plan. Already we have announced accelerated housing investment, delivered planning reforms, opened up public sector contracts to small and medium sized businesses, upped the advice we provide to manufacturing businesses, and provided Government money to help create and safeguard jobs and stimulate investment in our economy. We also need a programme of reflation from the UK Government to boost the wider economy.
"Our focus on sustainable growth and our undoubted strengths - a highly skilled workforce, huge renewable energy resources and competitive cost base - give us a solid foundation on which to establish a competitive advantage. But we cannot wait for things to get better - that is why we are redoubling our efforts to accelerate investment and support business and families in Scotland, and the UK Government must come forward with a reflationary package for the real economy as a matter of urgency."