Economic inactivity
People who are economically inactive are neither employed nor unemployed. Those who are economically inactive are not in work and are not seeking/available for work. Reasons for economic inactivity include being sick or disabled, looking after family or home, being a student and taking early retirement.
All persons
The economic inactivity rate of working age people in Scotland was estimated to be 20.1% in 2007 (Table 16). The total number of working age people who were economically inactive was estimated to be 644,000. Of those who were economically inactive 27.6% want to work ( Table 17).
Table 17 shows the number, and proportion, of those who are inactive but want to work. People who are inactive may have a willingness to work but are not available or able to do so.
In 2007, the proportion of inactive people who wanted to work was highest in Angus with 34.8% of those inactive stating that they would like to work.
The pattern of high inactivity and high willingness to work is also apparent when considering the deprivation of areas. In 2007, the proportion of inactive people living in the 15% most deprived areas who wanted to work was estimated to be 31.4%, higher than the estimated rate for the rest of Scotland at 26.4%.
Table 16: Economic inactivity rates and levels for working age people, 2006-2007
Geography
(Residence Based) | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|
Proportion | Proportion | Level |
|---|
Scotland | 20.0% | 20.1% | 644,000 |
|---|
Local Authority Area |
|---|
Aberdeen City | 15.6% | 17.4% | 23,700 |
|---|
Aberdeenshire | 15.5% | 15.6% | 22,900 |
|---|
Angus | 15.0% | 16.2% | 10,400 |
|---|
Argyll & Bute | 16.5% | 16.4% | 8,500 |
|---|
Clackmannanshire | 23.2% | 25.3% | 7,600 |
|---|
Dumfries & Galloway | 16.9% | 19.0% | 16,300 |
|---|
Dundee City | 23.4% | 22.4% | 19,800 |
|---|
East Ayrshire | 22.7% | 21.5% | 15,700 |
|---|
East Dunbartonshire | 15.3% | 18.9% | 11,900 |
|---|
East Lothian | 18.5% | 17.9% | 9,900 |
|---|
East Renfrewshire | 18.2% | 19.0% | 10,100 |
|---|
Edinburgh, City of | 19.2% | 19.7% | 62,100 |
|---|
Eilean Siar | 15.6% | 17.7% | 2,700 |
|---|
Falkirk | 17.1% | 18.5% | 17,300 |
|---|
Fife | 18.6% | 18.8% | 41,900 |
|---|
Glasgow City | 29.9% | 28.3% | 108,800 |
|---|
Highland | 17.6% | 15.9% | 20,800 |
|---|
Inverclyde | 22.2% | 24.8% | 12,300 |
|---|
Midlothian | 14.1% | 15.1% | 7,300 |
|---|
Moray | 17.7% | 17.2% | 8,900 |
|---|
North Ayrshire | 22.5% | 23.5% | 19,200 |
|---|
North Lanarkshire | 22.0% | 22.6% | 46,000 |
|---|
Orkney Islands | 16.1% | 11.2% | 1,300 |
|---|
Perth & Kinross | 17.1% | 18.7% | 15,500 |
|---|
Renfrewshire | 19.6% | 20.9% | 22,000 |
|---|
Scottish Borders | 17.5% | 16.1% | 10,500 |
|---|
Shetland Islands | 10.5% | 10.4% | 1,400 |
|---|
South Ayrshire | 20.6% | 18.8% | 12,400 |
|---|
South Lanarkshire | 18.9% | 18.5% | 35,400 |
|---|
Stirling | 21.4% | 19.2% | 10,400 |
|---|
West Dunbartonshire | 21.1% | 20.8% | 11,900 |
|---|
West Lothian | 16.7% | 17.7% | 18,900 |
|---|
Deprivation |
|---|
15% Most Deprived Areas | 34.7% | 33.8% | 151,600 |
|---|
Rest of Scotland | 17.5% | 17.9% | 492,400 |
|---|
Urban/Rural Classification (6 fold) |
|---|
Large Urban Areas | 22.8% | 22.7% | 289,500 |
|---|
Other Urban Areas | 18.6% | 19.1% | 176,700 |
|---|
Accessible Small Towns | 19.2% | 19.6% | 56,000 |
|---|
Remote Small Towns | 18.5% | 18.7% | 20,600 |
|---|
Accessible Rural | 16.2% | 16.1% | 66,300 |
|---|
Remote Rural | 18.5% | 18.3% | 34,900 |
|---|
Enterprise Region |
|---|
Highlands & Islands | 16.8% | 15.6% | 40,500 |
|---|
Rest of Scotland | 20.3% | 20.5% | 603,500 |
|---|