13 Aug 2008
Office for National Statistics (ONS) data released today reports a fall in unemployment levels, and an increase in employment levels.
Commenting on the ONS figures, Secretary of State for Scotland Des Browne said:
"Today's statistics show that the Scottish labour market continues to perform strongly. Employment is up and unemployment is down, which bears witness to the effectiveness of the UK Government's macroeconomic policies and the stability it has delivered."
"This sustained good performance is good news for everyone, but in the current global economic climate there is no room for complacency. The Government will take no chances on behalf of Scottish employers or workers and will continue to focus on providing the necessary support to help get people into work."
ILO unemployment fell by 12,000 over the quarter and by 9,000 over the year to 113,000. The Scottish unemployment rate also fell by 0.4 p.p. over the quarter to 4.2 per cent, which is below the UK average unemployment rate of 5.4 per cent.
Total employment in Scotland rose by 5,000 over the previous quarter to 2,543,000. The Scottish employment rate was unchanged over the quarter at 76.4 per cent, which continues to be above that of the UK and almost all countries within the EU.
The claimant count measure (those people out of work and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)) increased by 1,500 over the month, but is down 200 over the year to stand at 75,000 for July 2008. The claimant count rate is close to the historical low standing at 2.7 per cent.
Economic activity stands at 2,655,000, a fall of 7,000 on the previous quarter and 22,000 over the year. The economic activity rate remains close to the historic high at 79.9%.
Latest Data for Scotland
Employment
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) indicates that the number of people in employment in Scotland in April - June 2008 was 2,543,000. Employment was 5,000 higher compared with the previous three months but down 13,000 compared to the same period last year. The employment rate was unchanged over the quarter, and fell 0.7 p.p. over the year, to 76.4 per cent. In international terms, the Scottish employment rate remains above the UK average and the corresponding rate for the majority of other EU countries.
Unemployment
ILO unemployment in Scotland was down 12,000 over the quarter April - June 2008 to 113,000. The level was down 9,000 compared to the same quarter last year. The unemployment rate was down 0.4 p.p. from the previous quarter to 4.2% per cent, which is down 0.3 p.p. over the year.
Claimant Count Unemployment
The claimant count in Scotland, based on the seasonally adjusted number of people claiming Job Seeker's Allowance (JSA), increased by 1,500 in the month of July to 75,000. The level is down by 200 on July 2007. The claimant count rate was unchanged over the month and year at 2.7%.
Economic Activity
The number of economically active (defined as those in employment or ILO unemployed, seasonally adjusted) in Scotland in the April - June 2008 quarter was 2,655,000. This is 7,000 lower than the previous quarter, and 22,000 lower than at the same time a year ago. Among those aged 16-59/64, the economic activity rate was 79.9 per cent - down 0.4 percentage points on the previous quarter, and down 0.9 p.p. over the year.
NOTES FOR NEWS EDITORS
1. The internationally comparable International Labour Organisation (ILO) measure of unemployment is the headline figure published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for UK regions/countries.
2. The ILO measure of unemployment, which is derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), is published 12 times a year for an average of the three preceding consecutive months. ONS recommend that seasonally adjusted data should be compared with the previous non-overlapping three-month period: i.e. April - June data should be compared with January - March data. Quarter to quarter changes at country/regional level are especially subject to sampling variability and should be interpreted in the context of changes over several quarters.
3. The count of those claiming unemployment-related benefits continues to provide a full and timely range of data at sub-Scotland level for local authorities, Travel to Work Areas (TTWAs) and parliamentary constituencies. The claimant count is also the main source of information on unemployment by age and duration. Data on the claimant count in the New Deal age and duration groups is available from 1985.
4. The ILO measure of unemployment defines unemployed people as those who are; without a job, want a job, have actively sought work in the last four weeks and are available to start work in the next two weeks or; out of work, have a found a job and are waiting to start in the next two months. The claimant count measures the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance benefits. The claimant count measure is always the lower measure because some unemployed people are not entitled to claim benefits, or choose not to do so.
5. Economic activity is a measure of those who are in employment plus those who are unemployed but are available to enter the labour market (ILO unemployed). Conversely, the economically inactive are those people who are not in employment, but do not fulfil all the ILO criteria to be classified as unemployed. The most common reasons given for inactivity are being a student, being retired, looking after a family or home and being long-term sick or disabled.
We have included a link to a PDF file which can be downloaded from the Office of National Statistics website at: